Earth Day A Chance For Real Change
Connecticut Post, Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Op-ed by Jim Himes.
Today is the thirty-ninth Earth Day and it may be the most critical. Our choice is simple. Either we will be the agents of a green revolution, or we will hand our children a mess they will not be able to fix.
The good news is that for the first time, there is real consensus to rethink the way we use energy. Big oil companies are running television ads to try to convince us how green they are. And after seven years of sticking its head in the sand, even the Bush Administration is beginning to recognize that global warming is a problem.
The even better news is that the old argument that we protect the environment at the expense of our economy just doesn’t hold water anymore. It won’t be easy, but with smart planning we can go green in a way that will help us build both a thriving economy and middle class. This is a key reason why I’m running for Congress.
Because global warming is such an enormous problem, the market for green technology is huge and can be a critical source of jobs here in our district.
I know this because I’ve helped create green jobs.
For years, I led the New York office of Enterprise Community Partners, an affordable housing non-profit. There, we made a substantial commitment to green building. The environmental benefits of green building are obvious: green buildings conserve and reuse valuable resources, are healthier, and use less energy. And that matters because 40% of the energy we use is consumed in our homes and offices.
So green building makes clear economic sense. Under some circumstances, Energy Star appliances, energy saving windows, and smart heating and cooling systems can reduce utility bills by as much as 75%. Green roofs lower heating and air conditioning costs, reduce heat-island effects, and extend the life of a structure. Rainwater and grey water capture systems lower water bills by recycling water already in use. Non-toxic products like low-VOC paints and green carpeting and flooring are healthier for inhabitants and reduce health care costs down the road.
Best of all, green technology creates “green collar” jobs. These jobs are generally well paid, career-track jobs that range from low-skill entry-level positions to high-skill higher-paid jobs. Many are in construction, installation, maintenance, and other industries. And, unlike the manufacturing jobs that Stamford, Norwalk, and Bridgeport have lost in recent years, they cannot be outsourced. In short, green building is a win-win-win proposition. Green buildings are healthier to live in, better for the environment, and a source of good jobs.
Now is the time for the federal government to do its part. The federal government is by no means the answer to every problem, but in creating a green economy, there are three things that only it can do.
The first step could not be more obvious – get rid of the roughly $13 billion in tax breaks that we give to the five biggest oil companies each year and reinvest that money in alternative energy and green technology. Oil companies are making record-breaking profits now—they don’t need handouts of our taxpayer dollars. The private sector is investing in green technology, but the government should play as well, as it almost always does in emerging technologies such as the Internet.
Next, the government should offer guarantees for capital investment in green technology. Most green building pays for itself over time, but the savings are not predictable enough to give banks the confidence to finance the slightly higher upfront investment. By making the federal government a guarantor of green-related savings, green building has a chance at becoming the norm rather than the exception. That means the creation of a whole new industry. Done prudently, a guarantee program need not cost taxpayers a dime.
Finally, the federal government can use its reach to demonstrate and disseminate green building techniques and best practices in conservation. Federally financed projects should themselves be built green, and the federal government should share best practices with the private sector. Once developers, architects and builders learn the techniques of green building, they usually adopt them with enthusiasm. But the first step is always the most difficult, unless someone shows the way.
After seven years of inaction, the time has come for fresh leadership and thinking on how we consume energy. Opportunity is staring us in the face, and our district needs a representative who can seize it. The green economy can be a powerful engine for jobs that grow and sustain the middle-class in Bridgeport – we have to jump-start it now.
Jim Himes is a Democratic candidate for U.S. Congress. A former Rhodes Scholar and investment banker at Goldman Sachs, Jim is on a leave of absence from his role as Vice President at Enterprise Community Partners, a national non-profit that seeks business-oriented solutions to urban poverty through affordable housing.
