A recent poll conducted by the Pew Research Center finds that Americans are not prioritizing addressing Climate Change. In fact, Global Warming is lowest on the list, whereas issues like the economy and job creation are on the top. The ironic thing that energy and environment are up higher on the list. Is there public skepticism about an issue that all leading scientists believe is happening?
Maybe it is due to the fact that political cartoonists and even some journalists are drumming up the skepticism, printing cartoons and writing articles that conclude that because there are record cold temperatures, that means that "Global Warming" must not be happening. Scientists know, however, that Global Climate Change creates extreme drought and extreme storms, extreme heat and extreme cold. The fact is that Global Climate Change is real and it should be a top priority.
There are those who say that the interests of labor unions and environmentalists conflict. This may be how the two have positioned themselves, but that does not mean that their interests are not identical. If people want to create jobs and repair the economy in this troubled world, they must look to both labor and environmental leaders for leadership. At a time when Global Climate Change is seen as solely and environmental issue, we must realize that we are part of the environment, not separate from it or God's of it. What happens to the planet affects us all via droughts, floods and carbon offsets, and in the same token if unions loose their power to raise the minimum wage and create jobs than we all suffer the consequences. We are all on the same boat, and if we divide ourselves into two groups, than we have already lost the battle to save the economy and save our planet.
Just because the economy and job creation are people's top priorities does not mean that Global Climate Change has to take a back seat to them. In fact, solving the issue of Climate Change will benefit both the economy and jobs. Take the Big Three Automakers for example. Because the Big Three busted unions and continued to manufacture gas guzzlers, people bought fewer and fewer of them and jobs were cut. Also, these gas guzzlers emitted tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, and it took an oil crisis to make America realize that this was not working.
For those who are skeptical about biofuels, I cannot blame you. Corn ethanol will do more damage to the planet than good. Not only that, but we need twenty five Iowas to grow all the corn we would need to fuel our energy infrastructure. A better solution would be to rely on algae fuels, fuels that can replenish themselves on a regular basis. Algae fuels are also becoming cheaper to produce than petroleum based oils. We would need workers to produce this fuel, market it, distribute it. The same is true with solar panels, wind turbines and other alternative, carbon-efficient technologies. The best news is that the American people will save money if the nation makes the switch to alternative energies. It is a win-win for businesses and the consumer.
There are solutions on the table that could revolutionize the way people use energy. Talk of nearly carbon neutral algae fuels has spurred discussion on the future of our energy infrastructure. The best thing about algae fuel is that it is designed to function as petroleum, meaning that our current infrastructure can support a transition to the fuel, and that it can be used to manufacture biodegradable, chemical free plastics. Carbon emissions would be cut drastically from production to distribution and there would no longer be petroleum based plastics leeching into our rivers and oceans. Adopting algae-based technology would mean that trading with other nations would be done in a carbon-neutral, environmentally friendly fashion.
Let's talk about jobs. Twenty three million Americans have lost their jobs, and we are spiraling into another Great Depression. There are skeptics like Glen Beck who believe that the New Deal did not improve the economy, even though Roosevelt's plan sparked the largest economic growth in the nation's history. They blame unions for the economies collapse when in reality the economy collapsed because of overconsumption, union busting and because there was no regulation or oversight. Now is the time to put people back to work, and the future is in green jobs. This means bringing jobs back to America, from the suburbs to the inner city the farm land.
The middle class has taken a devastating hit even since Ronald Reagan rolled back New Deal policies. The average working American that was taking in an average of $40,000 annually (adjusted for inflation) in the 1960's saw their wages drop to $18,000 annually in the new millennium. What can we do? Well, we can build a green industry, where the interests of business and the environment coincide.
Researchers predict that in twenty years chocolate will be a luxury crop that only the elites would be able purchase. This is because chocolate producers clear cut rain forests to grow the chocolate, leaving unfertile land for future farmers. Other products like coffee and bananas also devastate rain forest land. Now is the time to promote sustainable farming practices, where the tallest trees are kept up to rejuvenate the forest, where farmers reduce or eliminate the need for chemical pesticides and where biodiversity is made a priority. We need to rely on sustainable farming practices om America too, where scientists warn that western states are facing epic droughts. We are already starting to see crop losses, and avocado production in California is expected to take a nose dive come May. We need to stand up for farmers by not only supporting local farmers and supporting union labor here and elsewhere, but by exporting American goods to other countries using carbon-neutral delivery methods. This way we keep trade flowing, improve human rights and environmental conditions, and ensure that our nation will always have vibrant, fertile soils.
We also need to create jobs in the inner city. One of the main reasons that Lyndon Johnson's Great Society failed was because African Americans migrated into the inner city where no jobs were waiting for them. These communities have often become dumping grounds for society's waste. It has been a long time coming, but we need to create, as activist Van Jones says, green jobs for those living in the inner cities and for those around the country. Many people in the inner city are waiting to become part of the middle class and escape the cycle of poverty and violence that dominates everyday life in their communities. It is time to strengthen communities by allowing people to shape it with their own hands. We need to take advantage of this moment in history by giving people green jobs that will not only save their communities but save the planet.
We can solve Global Climate Change, fix the economy and provide jobs in one fell swoop, and failing to do all three would waste time and money in a slumping economy. As I said before, Global Climate Change does not need to be in the back seat; it can drive us forward to a better tomorrow.