Well, no need for me to ramble on, lets look at some of this plan in detail. First the full overview from his site:
Global warming is a crisis that could fundamentally change our planet, but it also presents an opportunity to rebuild America's economy based on clean, renewable energy and good jobs. John Edwards has proposed an ambitious plan to cap global warming pollution and reduce it by 80 percent by 2050. At the same time, he will sell carbon pollution permits to build a New Energy Economy Fund to bring struggling family farms back to life, revitalize America's manufacturing base, and harness American innovation. Today, he described how he will ensure that workers have the needed skills to build the new energy economy and that it creates good job opportunities for everyone.
Edwards' investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency technology will create more than 1 million new jobs. Many of these jobs must be performed locally and cannot be offshored. However, it will take a concerted effort to ensure that America's workforce is well-trained for the new energy economy, that these jobs are good jobs, and that the economic opportunity is broadly shared. Today, Edwards outlined his "Green Collar Jobs" initiative to train and employ at least 150,000 workers a year in new energy economy jobs. He will dedicate 50,000 Stepping Stone jobs—subsidized employment that form part of Edwards' anti-poverty plan—to energy-related occupations. In addition, the Green Collar Jobs training initiative will work with employers, unions, community colleges and high schools to prepare and engage the next generation of workers.
I will let most of those comments speak for themselves. I would just like to add that during my lifetime I have constantly heard about us needing to be independent from foreign oil. They have talked and talked. During that time, the "independence fairy" hasn't come down and granted our wishes. I think that we can be completely energy independent. I think American ingenuity and innovation can come up with that one big breakthrough that makes some kind of bio-fuel feasible and marketable at better prices than we currently pay for other types of fuels. If we ever expect to do this, we simply must have a leader who is going to quit talking about the need and doing nothing to aleviate it. Edwards is fully committed to fiding a way to do this. It is time for Americans to be patriotic about something besides war....
Well, lets look now at some of the proposals for doing that, and creating countless high-paying jobs in an exciting new industry:
The New Energy Economy Needs Workers: Nationwide standards and significant increases in research and development of renewable energy, energy efficiency and carbon emissions control will spur new economic activity and create over 1 million new jobs. Already, "clean tech" has become the hottest new area of venture capital funding. Edwards' investments in renewable fuels will generate new jobs in rural America farming, processing and transporting biofuels. His national 25 percent renewable electricity standard can reenergize America's manufacturing sector with increased demand for wind turbines, solar panels and biomass engines. His emphasis on distributed generation will drive consumers and businesses to new businesses that can market, install, and service on-site power production. To freeze our demand for electricity, workers will be needed to design, construct, weatherize and retrofit energy-efficient buildings and homes. Many of these jobs must be done locally. [Newsweek, 6/21/2006; Apollo Alliance, 2007]
Now please, I don't care who you support, PLEASE read that last paragraph again. Republicans are always saying how Democrats oppose fair markets, but here Edwards wants to start a whole new market for investers to make money in. Think of the endless possibilities that investment in research of bio-fuels would bring once a breakthrough was found. I worked for a great Congressional candidate in the primary last year who just couldn't get his message out, and this was one of the things he really wanted people in our area to know. Here in rural Kentucky, we could take the lead in researching and developing the fuels of the future. He wanted to research and develop the fuels of the future right here in Kentucky and open our closed down factories and re-fit them to refine and ship these fuels of the future. This could seriously uplift our region and provide high-paying jobs and industry.
And its not just in Kentucky. No matter who ends up winning this primary, I desperately want to convey to anyone who reads this that this is simply not something we can not do. This is something we can do. We could create endless jobs and opportunities in many areas all over the country, and provide cheaper energy to all Americans. We must tackle this problem now. I think Edwards has shown he is the leader that has a real plan to do that. Oops, sorry to rant, lets move on:
Green Collar Jobs Will Require New Skills: Without a major strategy to prepare America's workforce for these new jobs, the new energy economy will be slow to take off, and the climate cannot wait. Experts have already anticipated a dire skills shortage: the National Renewable Energy Lab concluded that insufficient skills and training are major barriers to the rapid adoption of renewable energy and energy efficiency. The existing energy industry is getting older and half of current utility workers will retire within the next decade. Unfortunately, there has been no major effort to work with businesses and unions to identify the needed skills, create certification and training programs, and connect job-seekers to new energy economy jobs. [NREL, 2007; APPA, 2007]
I think this just speaks to the inaction of our government in the last several decades. The "Pass the Buck" mentality. Lawmakers on both sides don't have the stomach to just do what it takes to solve this problem. Edwards will be the leader in the White House who will spurn Congress to take action and solve these problems.
Its not like Americans don't need a better job pool to select from. Nowadays, in many regions of the country even college grads struggle to find work equvilant to their skills. Edwards speaks on that here:
American Workers Need Better Jobs: The nation has over 1 million long-term unemployed adults. In the first few months of 2007 alone, 640,000 workers were affected by mass layoffs. In urban centers and rural towns, hundreds of thousands of youth are out of school and out of work. And one in every four American workers holds a low-wage job with few benefits and little hope for advancement. [BLS, 2007; USA Today, 7/14/2006; CSS, 2007; Shulman, 2003]
That goes to show that this economy ISN'T working for everyone. Its not just unskilled, uneducated people that are working low-paying jobs either. A lot of skilled, and college educated workers nationwide are working for low wages in jobs that they didn't need a college degree for.
Edwards goes on to talk about his plan for creating the skills for a new "Green Collar" worker:
Linking the New Energy Economy, Workers and Good Jobs: The Green Collar Jobs training initiative will connect over 150,000 workers a year with skills certification and living wage jobs in the new energy economy, meeting the industry's need for qualified workers. States, businesses, labor unions, community groups and educators will train and employ new energy economy workers together. Green Collar Jobs grants will help partnerships create training curricula and certificate programs. They will also support partnerships' efforts to recruit, train and place participants: unemployed workers, community college students, veterans, and others seeking a way to build their skills for the new economy. Successful labor-management partnerships like these exist in many sectors and regions of the United States: states use economic development incentives to attract high-road employers in a specific industry, and employer associations or joint labor-management programs develop training programs and hire local job-seekers. [Ella Baker Center, 2007; Fitzgerald, 2006]
Now, if you think about it this is a very innovative proposal. It develops the skilled workers for a new industry, as the industry develops. Many people all over the country could benefit from this Green Collar jobs training initiative.
In order to do this it is going to take participation from many people, and organizations and Edwards goes on to touch on that:
Working with Businesses and Unions: The best job training and workforce development programs have the full involvement of employers and labor organizations. Industry groups and unions will help analyze necessary job competencies and develop curricula and provide training. As a result, the resulting credentials will be transferable and have real value in the workplace. Employers and unions may also participate by sharing their expertise as trainers and educators. [AECF, 2004]
Not much I can add to that. Edwards now discusses the role of Community Colleges in the process of creating a New Energy Economy:
Working with Community Colleges: Community and technical colleges provide important vocational and education services to 11 million students a year, but their curriculum is often disconnected from industry needs. The Green Collar Jobs grants will encourage community colleges to partner with businesses and unions to develop new energy economy education curricula that can be used by any students seeking to improve their job skills at community colleges, as well as direct participants in the training program. [AACC, 2006, Fitzgerald, 2006]
Now, I like this idea because it involves the technical schools also. I connects them with businesses and unions and makes sure to match graduates with needed skills. Many of these skills can be oriented to the New Energy Economy.
But Edwards thinks the creation of these skills should go further back still. Here he discusses what can be done in our High Schools:
Creating Career Academies in High Schools: The new energy economy will produce many skills-intensive jobs requiring solid foundations in math and science. In addition to improving math and science education in America's public schools nationwide, Edwards will support a network of Green Career Academies in high schools. Career academies are small learning communities within high schools that use a college preparatory curriculum with a career theme and engage employers, unions, and local colleges to participate. John Edwards will encourage the next generation of career academies across the country, building on the curricula designed by the Green Collar Jobs partnerships. [MDRC, 2005]
This is also an excellent idea. Everyone knows our students have been consistently falling behind in math and science worldwide. This program could motivate many students and get them on the path to a rewarding career, rewarding for them and their country.
Lastly, Edwards talks about using this New Energy Economy to give many of our fellow citizens a new lease on life:
Lending a Hand Up with Green Collar Stepping Stone Jobs: Many willing workers cannot find jobs because of the place they live, a lack of skills, experience, and references, or other obstacles like a criminal record. Up to 18 percent of former welfare recipients do not have a job. Too many welfare-to-work and employment service programs have slotted people into easily available jobs with low pay, few benefits, and no room for advancement. Edwards will create 50,000 government-subsidized Green Collar Stepping Stone jobs for hard-to-serve job-seekers. Green Collar Stepping Stone jobs will not be dead-end jobs. Workers will receive on-the-job training and work toward a training credential. Studies have shown that skills certification programs are critical for lower-skilled workers' efforts to move up. Employers who hire Stepping Stone graduates and offer living wages and benefits will be eligible for existing Work Opportunity Tax Credits and given preference in public contracts. [Turner, Danziger and Seefeldt, 2006; Osterman, 2005; Urban Institute, 2007]
http://www.johnedwards.com/...
This would help break the cycle of unemployment for Welfare recipients and give them real hope at independence. It will also help people who have made mistakes and need a second chance. In One America everyone should be able to share in the prosperity of an exciting new industry.
I think this proposal further demonstrates why John Edwards is the most qualified candidate to be President. He knows it is time to stop talking about needing to be Energy Independent and start doing something about it. As other candidates across the country have pointed out, it is not only the right thing to do, but with a little sacrifice, it could pay huge dividends in the future. Please join me in supporting John Edwards in the Democratic Primary and creating a New Energy Economy for all Americans!!
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