Has the green jobs revolution begun?
On June 26, Jerome Ringo rallied a crowd on the lawn outside the Capitol. "This bill is for the worker," boomed Ringo, president of the Apollo Alliance, a coalition of labor and environmental groups. "It's going to give that worker new manufacturing opportunities to get back to work again."
On June 26, Jerome Ringo rallied a crowd on the lawn outside the Capitol. "This bill is for the worker," boomed Ringo, president of the Apollo Alliance, a coalition of labor and environmental groups. "It's going to give that worker new manufacturing opportunities to get back to work again."
Inside the Capitol, the House of Representatives was passing the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES), the nation's first comprehensive energy and climate bill. The bill, which is now awaiting a vote in the Senate, aims to cut America's production of greenhouse gasses 17 percent by the year 2020.
Since President Barack Obama was inaugurated in January, the U.S. has seen an unprecedented surge in legislation and government programs aimed at stimulating a new, green economy.
Now, after years of campaigns and advocacy, many advocates feel like the green jobs revolution may have finally begun. With cold hard cash on the table, green leadership at the White House (pioneering advocate, Van Jones, became the "Special Advisor for Green Jobs" in March), and more legislation on the way, it's easy to imagine the rooftops of America sparkling with new solar panels, and Joe the Solar Guy carrying home a paycheck to his family for the first time.
