|
EarthTalk®
From the Editors of E/The Environmental Magazine
Dear
EarthTalk: What does it mean when one uses the phrase, "building
a green economy?" I've heard it repeated a few times lately
and would like to have a better understanding of the concept.
-- Rosie Chang, Islip, NY
The phrase "building a green economy" means different
things to different people, but in general it refers to encouraging
economic development that prioritizes sustainability-that is,
working with nature and not against it in the quest to meet peoples'
needs and wants-instead of disregarding environmental concerns
in the process of growing the economy. The primary way governments
around the world are trying to "green" their own economies
today is by increasing investment in-and, by extension, creating
jobs in-industries on the cutting edge of non-polluting renewable
forms of energy, such as solar and wind power.
President Obama has repeatedly invoked his vision of a green economy
as a tool for helping the U.S. lift itself out of recession and
position itself as an economic powerhouse in a carbon-constrained
future. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009,
the $787.2 billion stimulus package that Congress signed into
law in 2009, was chock full of provisions to boost renewable energy,
energy efficiency and environmental restoration initiatives. Examples
include $4.5 billion to convert government buildings into high-performance
green buildings, $8.4 billion for investments in public transportation,
and tens of billions of dollars more for research into new technologies
to amplify existing efforts. ARRA also earmark $11 billion for
the implementation of the "smart grid," a new approach
to power distribution that will bring more clean energy sources
into the mix and promote energy efficiency.
Infusing
such huge amounts of cash into sustainability-oriented projects
is one way the Obama administration hopes to "green"
the U.S. economy while simultaneously pulling the country out
of recession. "To truly transform our economy, protect our
security, and save our planet from the ravages of climate change,
we need to ultimately make clean, renewable energy the profitable
kind of energy," Obama told Congress a few months ago.
Of course, Americans aren't the only ones bent on building a green
economy. During the 1980s and 1990s, while the American government
was largely asleep at the wheel on environmental issues, countries
such as Denmark, Germany, Spain and Japan were already busy investing
in wind and solar research and implementation. And while these
nations' ongoing efforts are nothing to sneeze at, economists
point out that what is most needed is action on the part of the
world's fastest growing economies-China and India.
A
recent report by the consulting firm McKinsey & Company found
that China-which surpassed the U.S. as the world's largest generator
of greenhouse gases three years ago-has great potential for building
a green economy over the coming decades. According to McKinsey,
by 2030 China could reduce its oil and coal imports by up to 40
percent and its greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent by investing
upwards of 1.5 trillion yuan ($220 billion in U.S. dollars) per
year in both existing and new green technologies. China has begun
to see the light with regard to reducing emissions, increasing
energy efficiency and embracing renewable alternative energy,
but it has yet to make significant financial commitments, which
will be key to both warding off catastrophic climate change and
building a truly global green economy.
CONTACTS:
ARRA, www.recovery.gov;
McKinsey &
Company
SEND
YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS TO: EarthTalk®, c/o E - The Environmental
Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; earthtalk@emagazine.com.
E is a nonprofit publication. Subscribe: www.emagazine.com/subscribe;
Request a Free Trial Issue: www.emagazine.com/trial.
|
My
Shopping Cart
