Green Jobs

I recently read an article "Green Jobs Calling".  This article was about New Bedford, Massachusetts. The article explains that this town has not really seen much economic prosperity since the beginning of the 20th century due to the rise of the textile company.  However, the leaders of the community are hoping to "be the center of a green economy boom".  "Last year, a team of community organizers knocked on 3,000 doors, urging homeowners and small businesses to commit to energy audits and energy-efficiency improvements. Community organizers also founded a minority-owned green company to do the weatherization work and to help locals prepare their homes for efficiency upgrades—for instance, replacing old wiring so they can install insulation. The project is partly financed by a public utility, in response to state energy mandates" (Madeline Ostrander).  The people of this town are not only trying to make there town more prosperous, but also, and most importantly, become more green.  


New Bedford, Massachusetts is not the only town across this country that is making green jobs.  "Communities across the country are creating green jobs from the ground up, financed by consumer demand, utility fees, some creative new funding models, and a combination of federal, state, and local money" (Ostrander).  More and more different cities around the country are becoming greener and greener, which is something that is great.  The more that a city gets more green, the more it is helping out our planet and environment.  The article goes on to talk about another city in this country that is making more green jobs as well.  " In Oakland, Calif., an organization called Solar Mosaic is “crowdfunding” solar power. For $100, anyone can buy a share in one of several planned solar projects, to be installed atop community buildings" (Ostrander).  This is something that I feel like more and more companies, and people, should do.  It would do wonders for our planet if we made every roof on top of a huge building a green roof.  I think that this would do even more wonders for our environment if we made every roof in a huge city, such as New York City, Chicago, or Miami.  If every town, major cities or a small rural town, made at least half of their buildings' roofs have green roofs, this would majorly help out our environment and help with the green movement to making our planet and environment better.  


"The Ella Baker Center and a coalition of community groups have also successfully pushed the city to investigate whether more green-jobs financing could come from a public fund generated by consumer fees paid to Pacific Gas and Electric. Twenty-two states require energy utilities to maintain similar funds, according to the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. The coalition believes that Oakland’s share of the fund could help finance the city’s greenhouse-gas reduction plan, which aims to slash carbon emissions 36 percent below 2005 levels in the next decade" (Ostrander).  As I have previously stated, I think that this is something that would help our environment and our planet.  I think that how much the carbon emissions would  go down by would be great for not just our environment, but for us as well.  I think that this is something that should be happening at least in all the major cities, then slowly moving to smaller cities.