ecomii politics blog

Eco-Cities: The Next Frontier

By Ted Nelson ecomii.com
March 30, 2009
File under: Global Initiatives

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Large social/political movements usually start out on the fringe of political discourse, slowing building momentum until their moment finally comes.

As 19th Century French writer Victor Hugo (author of Les Misérables and The Hunchback of Notre Dame) put it: “One withstands the invasion of armies; one does not withstand the invasion of ideas.” Often paraphrased today as: “Nothing is stronger than an idea whose time has come.”

Almost 50 years after Rachel Carson launched the modern environmental movement with the publication of her book “The Silent Spring,” we –as a society– are beginning to think seriously about what it means to be truly environmentally sustainable.

Organic food, renewable energy projects, hybrid/EV/ethanol fueled vehicles, and green buildings are sprouting up left and right. …read more of Eco-Cities: The Next Frontier here

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The Cap and Trade Conundrum

By Nathaniel Manning
March 23, 2009
File under: Economy, Environmental Policy, Obama

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In Obama’s recent address to Congress he called for the submissions of Cap and Trade policies for the United States of America. It looks as if by the end of 2009 the USA will be the last developed country to adopt a carbon trading scheme, but what will this scheme look like and what will be done with the money earned from the selling of permits?

In short, a Cap a Trade policy puts a cap on the amount of carbon industries and organizations are allowed to expel. These companies would buy pollution permits from the government, and can then buy and sell these permits amongst themselves, so that companies who can reduce more efficiently can sell excess permits to those who are unable to reduce in a financial feasible manner.

The government, as a result, will collect vast sums of new funds from the selling of these permits through the creation of a regulated carbon-polluting market.

There are a three different philosophies at the moment on what should be with this new revenue …read more of The Cap and Trade Conundrum here

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Sustainable Growth

By Ted Nelson ecomii.com
March 19, 2009
File under: Economy

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The question that people are now asking themselves is whether this economic crisis just a downturn in the market or it’s shed light on some flaws in the model of economic growth which led us here?

It sounds a bit radical to suggest that there is something wrong with our economic model, un-American maybe. But it’s not.

As painful as the current economic situation is, this is the perfect time to take a look at our economy to see what we’ve been doing wrong and what we can do better.

Specifically, what aspects of our economic growth were/are unsustainable? How can we progress towards a model that provides sustainability—both economically and environmentally?

Let’s start with a recent history of how we got here. …read more of Sustainable Growth here

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Greening American Industry

By Tracy Crawford ecomii.com
March 15, 2009
File under: Auto Industry, Economy, Green Jobs

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A group in Cincinnati has converted an old, vacant building to create a green tech lab for green construction and design projects.

The Ford training center in the Twin Cities has plans to close its doors by 2011 and will lay off hundreds of employees in the process. A few area groups have decided to use this manufacturing site as a green jobs training program for wind turbine manufacturing and installation, and light rail car production.

Here are a couple of examples of how greening our defunct manufacturing and industry plants in this country can help create jobs well within reach of those laid off factory workers, as well as help the U.S. to once again make products, all while helping the environment and hard-hit communities.

Not only will new jobs be created in this process, necessary training will also take place. …read more of Greening American Industry here

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Where are the Green Jobs?

By Tracy Crawford ecomii.com
March 11, 2009
File under: Green Jobs, Obama

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We have heard there will be hundreds of thousands of jobs created from initiatives contained in the economic stimulus plan. But let us be concerned with the job creation within the green or cleantech sector of business and industry.

Obama laid out plans to rebuild our energy grid and has a focus on increasing U.S. dependence on renewable energy (RE) sources for our energy use over the next few years.

This means that there will be an increase in jobs within the RE sector. Jobs in RE are fast becoming a focus of interest for jobseekers. Many who have no previous experience in energy want to be a part of the RE fields and they want it bad!

Main areas of RE job creation are currently coming from …read more of Where are the Green Jobs? here

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Stay current on the latest policies and progress government is making on addressing green issues. Find out what is going on off-camera and in the discussion chambers of government. Advocate your thoughts and ideas.

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