The Green WPA – A Sustainable Way Forward

Aug18

The Green WPA – A Sustainable Way Forward

Posted In: Energy, Alt Fuel, Energy & The Economy, Economic/Environmental Justice, Energy, Energy & The Economy, Energy & The Economy, EPA, Green Cars, Green financing, Energy & The Economy, Green Jobs, Energy, Policy, The Green WPA

Translation

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With all the supposed focus on “jobs” by both political parties, and a major presidential speech on the same topic now planned for sometime after Labor Day here in the U.S., we suggest that in fact, the focus should be on creating not only an “Infrastructure Bank” but what we are dubbing The Green WPA.

Why green?

Well, we need to focus on building sustainable infrastructure, not just patching up the holes and widening cracks if not gaping maws in what we’ve got. We personally don’t think that merely recreating the wheel this time around is the way to go. Nor do we think there are really the resources to do it.

That’s okay though by us. The old way was not only petroleum-centric but fundamentally unsustainable in the long haul – starting with it being politically unsustainable.

We don’t want to sound pessimistic, by any means, but in crafting a new plan, we have to put everything on the table. Not only the what, but the why and how.

Furthermore, the jobs created by such a program will not just be the traditional “muscle” jobs currently espoused by those now beginning the calls for such a program. Our idea of the Green WPA would of course be focused on infrastructure that needs to be built across this country that includes everything from our transportation infrastructure to our communications and electrical grid to creating local food chains. That all takes brawn, for sure, but it also takes brains. It is an idea of inclusive economy, built on the labor and imagination of all of our citizens.

We will talk more about our ideas and plans coming soon, but we are, as a company, envisioned as sort of a private sector adjunct to this kind of government program, even as we do not plan on being dependent on that kind of political wind blowing out of the nation’s capitol any time soon.

However, we did think, particularly with news of global gyrations on the world’s stock market over the past few weeks, that this kind of thinking (with input from folks like us) is slowly gaining traction. In this kind of environment, change will only come with a consensus of green voices like ours calling for change and leading the way.

We hope by planting our green standard now that we begin to add fuel to the growing fire if not stoke the debate by a wide diversity of voices and actors to begin to move the wheels and cogs of government in the same way.

Rome, as the saying goes, was not built in a day. Nor can America (much less the global economy) be saved in a similarly short time. That said, every trip starts with a single step.

We have already taken quite a few and welcome others to join our journey.

Stay tuned.

In the meantime, take a look at these clips, including FDR‘s “Fireside Chat” announcing the creation and implementation of the original WPA not to mention the reasons and justification for it. We have also included the “theme song” of the previous “Great Depression” – Brother Can You Spare A Dime?

Shocking how history repeats itself, isn’t it?