Restoration = green jobs

New York Times op-ed columnist Thomas Friedman had an interesting column about green jobs today - see: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/17/opinion/17friedman.html?th&emc=th

The idea of green jobs has been getting a lot of play lately all over the media, especially as the climate change debate heats up. The discussion about green jobs, however, has been focused largely on alternative energy, retrofitting buildings, and other similar projects to reduce global warming impacts. Wildlands CPR is also focusing on creating green jobs, but through restoration efforts. Green jobs really can include all sorts of activities - both activities that protect and conserve the environment, and activities that restore the environment. In addition, green jobs are beneficial in economically-depressed urban and rural areas. Wildland restoration through road removal, for example, can bring high-wage, high-skill jobs to rural resource dependent communities.

Friedman's column is good one, and he quotes the leader of a new green jobs group about how important it is to create a more broad-based environmental movement. He's right, and those green jobs can come from a lot of different sectors. While the focus on energy and climate change is important, and provides opportunities for green jobs in urban areas, watershed restoration can provide jobs in rural areas. In addition, watershed restoration through road removal will protect and restore clean drinking water for millions of Americans. By restoring these watersheds, we will also be able to make them more resilient to the unknown impacts of global climate change - thus protecting clean water and clean air over the long-term. The missing link right now is public and private investment in restoration. The new group Friedman refers to is running a "Green for All" campaign (http://greenforall.org/) that is hoping to get Congress to invest $125 million in training 30,000 workers a year for green jobs. We think that's a great idea - and we've been pushing for similar projects here in MT and beyond. Their mission is to help build a green economy strong enough to lift people out of poverty. Wildlands CPR has been partnering with folks here in MT and throughout the intermountain west to build a restoration economy that benefits both the land and rural communities. Clearly it's all linked, and let's hope it's all successful over the long-term, as well!