Green Jobs Czar

Campus Report ^ | July 27, 2009 | Evan Sumortin

[bs9021]

Green Jobs Czar

by: Evan Sumortin, July 27, 2009

On July 8, 2009, the Center for American Progress (CAP) hosted its fifth annual “Campus Progress National Conference” in Washington, D.C. The event was geared towards college progressives as an opportunity to “discuss the critical challenges [their] generation faces, to develop the ideas, networks, and innovations that will help [them] meet those challenges,” and more importantly, “Deliver Change.”

One of the keynote speakers was the Obama Administration’s very own “Green Jobs Czar,” Van Jones. He deemed the predominately college-age audience “Generation Obama.” He used his speech to praise Obama’s leadership, specifically in clean energy and energy independence. “[Obama] wants to make sure that you live in a world where the air is clean, where the water is clean, where the temperature is mild, where the wind turbines are turning, where the solar panels are up, and where the people are working,” Jones asserted.

Jones lambasted the opposition towards Obama’s green policies, specifically the opposition towards the American Clean Energy and Security Act (H.R. 2454), a.k.a. the Climate Bill. “There are people in this town who are afraid of the future, who are afraid to let the next wave of energy technologies come forward, who are afraid to let your generation have the tools, the technology and the training to make America the world leader in clean energy,” said Jones.

Jones believes that the Republicans are afraid of technology and innovation, but they say they are afraid of the 17.9 percent unemployment rate in Spain—the supposed green jobs “model.”

“Your generation has changed the direction of the country,” Jones concluded. If the climate bill passes, the direction of our country will indeed be changed, but will it be changed for better or for worse?...

[Buckeye McFrog]

you and everyone you know needs to bombard this guy with resumes...”Hey, where’s my Green Job???”