The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems (Hardcover)

by Van Jones (Author)
Key Phrases: green economy, dual crisis, green jobs, United States, The Government Question, The Green New Deal (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. As the "ecological crisis nears the boiling point," human rights activist and environmental leader Jones (president of the national organization Green For All) lays out a visionary, meticulous and practical explanation of the two major challenges the U.S. currently faces-massive socioeconomic inequality and imminent ecological catastrophe-and how the current third wave of environmentalism, the "investment" wave, can solve both. If industry players want to take advantage of growing consumer demand for green solutions, they'll have to follow principles of inclusiveness as well as conservation and inventiveness to create "broad opportunity and shared prosperity" for citizens at all levels of society. Rife with statistics, facts and history lessons, Jones introduces a "Green New Deal," a re-imagining of FDR's original New Deal that makes the government "a partner" (as opposed to a "nanny" or "bully") of the people, and sets about defining the principles of a "smart, supportive, reliable" partnership. Jones examines success stories from around the world (included close looks at Chicago and Milwaukee), defines government priorities at national and local levels and offers concrete solutions; one major positive step for any "significant U.S. metropolis" is to "invest massively in constructing buses, light rail cars, and mass-transit projects," creating good jobs while cutting greenhouse gases. With both caution and hope, Jones concludes that "tens of thousands of heroes at every level of human society" will be needed to carry off this third, and perhaps ultimate, green initiative.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review
"Brother Van Jones is a visionary who spells out real solutions in black and white - and, of course, green. Van’s vision of a thriving, green economy doesn’t have throw-away things or throw-away people. It’s the kind of environmentalism everyone can get behind." -- Mario Van Peebles, actor and producer, Mario's Green House

"It’s rare that someone with such a gift for speaking is able to convey the energy and excitement of his message equally well in writing. With The Green Collar Economy, Van Jones surpasses all expectations. The country seriously needs his take on the environment and the economy." -- Gavin Newsom, Mayor of San Francisco

"Jones accomplishes the super heroic feat of linking together the solutions for poverty, the energy crisis, and global warming. Van is a visionary of our times, and one of my personal heroes. Every relevant 21st century leader needs to read Van’s book." -- John Hope Bryant, Founder & CEO, Operation Hope

"The Green Collar Economy is a both a rallying call and a road map for how we can save the planet, reduce our dependency on budget-busting fossil fuels, and bring millions of new jobs to America." -- Fred Krupp, Environmental Defense Fund President and New York Times best-selling co-author of "Earth: The Sequel"

"The baton is passed to climate advocate Van Jones who clearly sees that our future must be green and must include everyone. His powerful new book ‘The Green Collar Economy’ shows us how to accomplish it." -- Laurie David

"This book illustrates the link between the struggle to restore the environment and the need to revive the US economy. Van Jones demonstrates conclusively that the best solutions for the survivability of our planet are also the best solutions for everyday Americans." -- Al Gore

"Van Jones has a unique ability to inspire people of all colors, classes and generations to uplift vulnerable people, while protecting our vulnerable planet. His sparkling intelligence, powerful vision and deep empathy are all on full display in The Green-Collar Economy." -- Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House of Representatives

"Van Jones reminds us that the worst of times can also be the best of times -- that a nation with an abundance of resources it’s wasting -- beginning with its youth -- has an enormous opportunity to stop foolishly bankrupting itself by chasing resources it is running out of -- like oil." -- Carl Pope, Executive Director Sierra Club

"Van Jones’ authentic and passionate arguments trump the status quo. In The Green Collar Economy he holds the welfare of our neediest people front and center as he lays out a viable plan for the remainder of the 21st century." -- Tavis Smiley, Author, Television and Radio Host

"Van’s words echo the sentiments of many indigenous communities, who have endured the effects of coal strip mining, uranium mining and mega dams. The Green Collar Economy outlines industrial society’s path towards a just future." -- Winona LaDuke, Native American and environmental activist

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: HarperOne (October 7, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061650757
• ISBN-13: 978-0061650758
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (48 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,689 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Leaves much to be desired, January 8, 2009

By	JP (California, USA) - See all my reviews

The Green Collar Economy covers a very important issue, at a very important moment in history, so I wish Van Jones had done a better job.

My largest complaint is that so much of this book (the first 65 pages) covers nothing but Hurricane Katrina and race relations. You would never tell from the cover descriptions or introduction that this really is a book about race and class. Van Jones comes across as obsessed with this issue, yet fails to convince me of a real connection between race and the environment.

Van Jones is also very non-specific throughout most of the book. He desperately needs more evidence, comparisons, and statistics to back up his claims. Not until the second to last chapter do we learn of specific policy solutions.

The Green Collar Economy also neglects some of the most important green issues. He dedicates less than one page to suburban sprawl vs. transit oriented development, which is really a paramount topic. Rail as a means of intercity travel is barely mentioned. He hardly mentions Europe, even though the US has so much to learn from them (How can you write book on anything green without drawing comparisons to Europe?).

Bottom line is I'm not sure who this book is for. Environmentalists will be unsatisfied with the lack of new information, and conservatives will remain unconvinced that Van Jones' proposals will actually work.

28 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect Timing! , October 11, 2008

By	Norma Lehmeierhartie (New York, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

The Green Collar Economy, How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems, by Van Jones, could not be more timely. As our economy (and perhaps the world economy) enters a period called stagflation--meaning, a stagnant economy coupled with inflation--Jones offers a sound solution.

Van Jones gets right to the point in the first sentence of the introduction: "The pain at the gas pump is just the beginning...This weakness can and will send the entire country into a particular kind of a tailspin." Jones writes that oil can't keep up with the demand and that it is running out. This is a fact--we cannot keep on living as we have, sucking up finite resources as if there is no end.

"Clean coal", (an oxymoron, he explains, and part of a clever marketing campaign,) nuclear power plants, and off shore drilling are not the answer to our problems. We need to invest in sustainable resources--like the sun and moon--for the future of the planet and people.

Using corn for fuel was also a huge mistake. I love what he wrote: "Government-mandated and subsidized ethenal from corn will go down in history as the 'Iraq war' of environmental solution."

The solution to the problem lies within our people. Jones believes we need workers--and lots of them--trained to green our economy. Most of the jobs would be considered blue-collar, and little more than a high school education and some training would be necessary. The new green collar workers have jobs "preserving and enhancing environmental quality." Jobs run the gamut of installing solar panels to energy auditors.

Yesterday on the radio, I heard a plumber complain that he hasn't had so little work in over 20 years. That he considered a good day when he could work until 1pm. These people are who Jones writes about and are the workers who would most benefit from the new green economy.

Let us hope that The Green Collar Economy becomes the reality.

Highly recommended.

By the author of the award winning book, HARMONIOUS ENVIRONMENT: BEAUTIFY, DETOXIFY & ENERGIZE YOUR LIFE, YOUR HOME & YOUR PLANET.

15 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting ideas, October 16, 2008

By	M. A. Filippelli "Marc12074" (Elk Grove, CA, US) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The Green collar economy is very well thought out and easy to read. The Jones lays out a plan to reduce the use of fossil fuels, reduce the amount of Green house gasses, and create new jobs in the United States. The Green collar economy delves into the use of fossil fuels, what it takes to get it out of the ground and refine it, the cost to the atmosphere due to this process. Eventually the world will dry up of fossil fuels, were dealing with a limited supply at a time when much of the world is learning to drive. The Green collar economy talks about places like India and China the bicycle is being replaced with the automobile and the economic effect that has on the price of gas world wide. Consumer demand is now out stripping the supply of oil. Oil prices are rising due to world demand. Jones does a great job of covering the economic effect of this and what it will lead to if we don't start really developing alternative energy resources and making Green technology available and affordable. There are many untapped resources out there for creating Green jobs and a cleaner environment.

The book also talks about some other types of energy resources and the pros and cons of them like converting corn to fuel. Should we be burning corn as fuel when children are starving? Nuclear power again this is a limited resource since there is a limited supply of uranium. Clean coal, just an oxymoron. The process for clean coal doesn't exist; it's still the dirtiest of all fuels when you take into account the process for mining and burning coal. There is also a limited supply of coal.

We are spiraling downward towards an energy nightmare; the book proposes some interesting and plausible ways to avoid this. The concept is great it the process of helping these ideas come to fruition that will require a lot of work. People will need to change their thought process when it comes to producing energy. Making these ideas happen will require a lot more detail with in the then what this book goes into but it plants the seed to get the process started. The book lays out the mechanics of what it will take to make the Green collar idea turn into a Green collar reality. It's up to us as citizens of the planet to make it happen. The back of Jones has a resource list of containing Green energy businesses and coalitions.

There are many types of Green collar jobs that could be created not only in the Green industry but within the normal work place. Jobs will be created in research, development and implementation of these technologies.

A great read for anyone but especially for those Green collar and want to be Green collar workers. Very enlightening.