Van Jones: Killing two birds with one stone

I really liked this article in the New York Times about Van Jones. He is a black environmentalist, which is somewhat unusual because the environmental movement has been labeled as an upper class problem, or activism. I think Jones frames it well when he says people in his neighborhood are more likely to get killed by a passing shooter than a glacier. Jones really puts the problem into perspective for me, as we truly do need more "on ramps" for the environmental problem.

I agree with Jones that one of the most important things the environmental movement needs to do is reach out to disadvantaged communities that may even be suffering from forms of environmental injustice, such as having a landfill close to their neighborhood. These people make choices as consumers on a daily basis, and while they may have a much harder time buying organic simply for monetary reasons, they need to be engaged in this battle.

I loved the idea of green collar jobs and I had never heard of them before. Jones is right. These jobs will have to stay in America and truly replace some blue collar jobs that have been lost overseas. With the growing environmental movement people are going to need buildings, parks and public spaces redone. This will create so many new jobs for people. I was so excited when I read this, although I do not think the government should be involved in everything, to combine two problems, the environment and poverty, into one solution is intriguing. I really hope these green collar jobs continue to go through and give people from these communities a reason to care about the environment. I really enjoyed this piece, and while Jones does seem climate change, etc. as a pressing problem, he really frames it into a positive light. He says here is the problem, here is how we can stop and fix it and here are some of the positive results that will occur. It is refreshing to hear someone who has a positive perspective, especially after reading The Lorax.

I will definitely continue to follow the issue of green jobs!