Residents march for green jobs

With the recent economic downturn and steady decline of blue-collar jobs, the environmental movement is promoting the expansion of green jobs.

About 40 local citizens marched down Kirkwood Avenue on Saturday afternoon wearing green hard hats and carrying signs saying “Green Jobs Now.” The group was part of a national demonstration demanding 5 million new jobs that promote climate solutions, energy independence and investment in a new energy economy.

“Climate change isn’t just an environmental issue, it’s a social justice issue,” said Caitlin Corner-Dolloff, field organizer for 1Sky, a national organization that aims to change climate legislation.

The 1Sky campaign, which has partnered with Greenpeace, wants the federal government to expand renewable energy and other sustainable solutions, which will require an increase in green jobs.

Corner-Dolloff said “green jobs” include a variety of jobs that promote sustainable business. For example, she said renewable energy will require the production of steel for photovoltaics, which convert solar power into energy.

She also said that many of the new jobs, because of their nature, could not be outsourced, such as weatherizing homes for better energy efficiency. Corner-Dolloff said many of these jobs wouldn’t require a college degree but would require some training.

The campaign proposes that green jobs would replace some of the blue-collar jobs that have left the country either from increasing mechanization or outsourcing abroad.
“It’s an economic issue,” said Lisa Ramsden, a field organizer for Greenpeace. “We need to make climate change a higher priority.” 

The promotion of green jobs will act as an incentive for citizens who might not otherwise be concerned with climate change.

“It’s not just for those tree huggers,” said J.R. Lagoni of Bloomington, who joined Saturday’s march. “Green jobs are the future one way or another, whether it’s a slow change with this campaign, or a catastrophe from not paying attention to the environment.” 

Bill Breeden, a Bloomington resident and reverend at the Unitarian Universalist Church, said he came to march because of the economic situation, saying “the number of jobs is decreasing every year.”

Before becoming a reverend, Breeden said he was a truck driver for RCA in Bloomington but lost his job when the company moved its operations to Mexico. Breeden said that green jobs would offer more job opportunities for people who are struggling.

“It’s important to talk about jobs that create a sustainable, livable community,” Breeden said. “When you boil everything down, the economy is always number one – if you can’t pay your bills, you’re screwed. We can have full employment and sustainable jobs.”