by Michael Smith
For years now environmentalists have been urging and pressurizing governments to tackle climate change – now it seems World leaders have a greater incentive – not only will green innovation help fight climate change, it will also create jobs.
The new President of the United States of America, Barak Obama, has already pledged to create 5m jobs by driving the US towards clean energy independence. Rumor has it that the devolved government in Scotland is going to announce the creation of thousands of new "green" jobs as part of its economic recovery plan.
At the World Economic Forum in Davos at the end of January /beginning of February 2009 the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown stressed the importance of cooperation between governments and the private sector in tackling climate change despite the current economic recession.
According to the British PM investment in green technology and energy efficiency could act as a spur to recovery in the global economy, he said:
“We cannot afford to relegate climate change to the international pending tray because of our current economic difficulties. We must use the imperative of building a low carbon economy as a route to creating jobs and growth, the path that will see us through the current downturn”.
So, and what after. Business as usual?
Dr Neil Bentley, CBI director of business environment speaking at the Carbon Trust’s annual stakeholder event last week said:
“Moving towards low carbon, especially in these times, is not a luxury. It is a critical issue and an important opportunity for business and for creative thinking. Where the great depression was solved by building roads and bridges, what this economic crisis needs is green innovation.”
"Climate change threatens all our goals for development and social progress," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the world's business and government. "On the other hand, it also presents us with a gilt-edged opportunity."
"The green economy is low-carbon and energy-efficient. It creates jobs. Investment in sustainable technologies will turn today's crisis into tomorrow's sustainable growth."
But it always seems to be the economy, the economy and the economy again. The real consideration for the Planet does not really come in in this scenario, methinks.
We are still being encouraged to go and spend our way out of the downturn and this is the most stupid notion I have ever encountered.
However, with the crisis at hand and needing to save maybe, just maybe, government, industry, commerce and people in general will realize that saving energy, for in stance, makes economic and financial sense and the same as to not wasting food and other resources, such as, for instance, water.
Both climate change, whether it is man-made or, as I am believe, a natural phenomenon of the Planet ,which is probably exacerbated by our irresponsibility as regards to Nature and resources, and the depression that is looming – if it has not, in fact, arrived already – are a threat to the stability of our society and that of the world as a whole. So, if we can kill two birds with one stone (without harming a bird in the process), so to speak, by tackling the issues of climate change and the environment and the economy at the same time then the better.
What we must be considering, and it often is not being considered that, if climate change is a natural cycle of the Earth we must make preparations to live with it and hence look at ways to doing this too.
We also, while we are at it, must get away from our dependence on (foreign) oil and gas and find natural sources of fuel – without, however, having to use food crops for it – in order to fuel our power stations to generate electricity. Also, we must get away from our love affair with the ICE, the infernal combustion engine, and this regardless of whether the outputs of such is affecting or causing climate change. The general pollution caused by the millions of cars on our roads is enough reason to look at clean alternatives.
All of this could fuel innovation and new industries. At the same time some of the old skills, crafts and industries too may find revitalization, such as shoe mending, and other repair skills.
The trade of he wheelwright even and the farrier might become in fashion once again for we could do worse than, in some regions at least, adopting some of the ways of the Amish, for instance.
The horse is already for some time again proving its worth in forestry operations and, I am sure, it could, once again, be viable in other sectors too.
The bicycle for transportation should be considered again, as it is by some folks already, in Europe and also the UK, though there is still a way to go in places such as the USA, and bike repair could and should be a trade again that could blossom.
Why do we need to constantly look at exports? We should look at doing and making things at home for the home market at reasonable affordable prices. How can it be possible to make thin gs so cheap that while they are made in China and then shipped all the way from there to here they are still only half the price if not less even than the, supposedly, could be made for at home. Somehow this, in my opinion, does not compute.
We are being taken for a ride, methinks. Let us demand “Made in Britain”, “Made in America”, etc. at a price that is the same or maybe just a little more than the cheap labor exploitation stuff from Asia. It is corporate greed that says it cannot be made cheaply at home; nothing else. So, at least, I see it.
© M Smith (Veshengro), February 2009
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