In April 2008, Green for All hosted the Green Jobs Conference in Memphis, thus helping to cement Memphis’ future in taking a critical look at what green jobs means to our economy.
A loose definition of green jobs is that they are quality jobs that can adequately support families and also help to improve the environment.
The Prospectives on Green Jobs in Memphis and the Mid-South report released by Bio Dimensions this week states that the green economy can bring 25,000 new jobs and more than $8 billion dollars in the next decade to the region. These numbers suggest that the green economy is one of the strongest areas of economic opportunity for Memphis.
While many cities and states have conducted individual assessments a regional focus on green jobs puts us at the forefront of this movement. Leah Wells and Pete Nelson should be commended for the time and energy they put into making this valuable research available. Our charge now is to do something with the strategies and ensure that Memphis and the Mid-South are leaders in this green economy.
As a side note would also like to see Memphis follow in the footsteps of the Federal Governments GreenGov challenge and replicate a similar initiative in Memphis asking citizens to submit their suggestion on how to green Memphis and its government.
I posted a way to market this in my blog @ http://www.equalgravity.com. Memphis has a history as the place where Theodore Roosevelt gave his first speech regarding conservation. This is a story that should be told and marketed: the more we change the narrative and then execute the better off we’ll collectively be.
“Green jobs” are already going overseas …
Huge Texas Wind Farm’s Turbines Will Be Made in China
http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2009-10/huge-texas-wind-turbines-will-be-made-china