Van Jones and The Green Collar Economy
“The economic world can only be reformed by spartan restraint in the consumption of goods and the use of services; by the will to work, not simply for individual profit, but for group weal; not simply for one group but for all groups; and the freedom to dream and plan.” – W.E.B. Du Bois
Equally quotable, Van Jones could drop this green jobs proponent thing and go full time coining t-shirt slogans - once Frankie Says Relax, now Jones Says Green Jobs, Not Guns. The Green Collar Economy vocalizes the oft forgotten human variable of sustainability and economics. Jones said, “The green economy should not be just about reclaiming throw-away stuff. It should be about reclaiming throw-away communities. It should not just be about recycling materials to give things a second life. We should also be gathering up people and giving them a second chance at life – and all obstacles to their being able to find that second chance in the green sector should be removed.”
People may challenge the comingling of lightweight economic thought and sustainable architecture, but reading The Green Collar Economy (and remembering thinkers like Du Bois), reminds us that everything connects. Economics and ecologics meetcute: investment in a green collar economy will create a short-term opening for interested people to develop sustainable skills and improve both the current conditions of their community and its sustainability. Jones’s message – green jobs, not jails – is the 21st Century version of the proverb “if you teach a man to fish…”, just retooled. Jones knows there’s more to the green economy than creating tangible, graphable growth; investments made in green technologies are also investments in human capital. Says Jones, “There should be a moral principle there that says, let’s green the ghetto first. Let’s go to those communities where they have the least ability to pay for that retrofit and make sure they get that help, make sure they get that support.” Jones continues, “And give the young people standing on those corners the opportunity to put down those handguns and pick up some caulking guns and be a part of the solution.”
Many architects and builders already think holistically. It’s the rest of us who need to get it together. We can nurture both the lowest-common-denominator architectural sector. If I have done my math right, the market will do its thing and bring us higher quality, lower priced greenery over time. In fact, in the economic ecosystem, diversity fosters sustainability. Jones said, “The wealthy shift their considerable resources away from economic activity that harms the planet – and toward economic activity that helps it. As early adopters, they also create markets and support start-ups – which over the long term bring down costs and let more people participate in the green economy.”
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