Green jobs, climate change and human rights

Here at the 1Sky campaign we have been extremely excited to partner with our friends in Green for All.  Led by civil rights maverick Van Jones, Green for All has worked tirelessly to bring forth a national call for green pathways out of poverty through the creation of massive jobs programs in green industries.  The organization has already seen phenomenal success, helping to secure $125 million for the training of 35,000 green-collar workers in last year’s energy bill as a start.  Their advocacy has also gained traction in the Presidential primaries, as evidenced by last night’s Democratic debate in which all the candidates mentioned green jobs.  We are now working with Green for All to build off their victories and demand more: 5 million green-collar jobs to kickstart an energy-saving and renewable energy revolution!

Green for All’s work in some of the poorest, most marginalized communities in the country challenges us to confront the issue of environmental justice.  For decades we have known that low-income communities and communities of color are disproportionately impacted by environmental hazards and lack access to environmental benefits.  We now know that it is these same populations that are most vulnerable to climate change impacts, and justice demands that they have a seat at the table when we formulate solutions.  At 1Sky we will be working proactively in the weeks ahead to build a diverse coalition to address these very issues.  We owe a special shout-out to Tom Goldtooth at the Indigenous Environmental Network for offering to convene a national conference call with some of the key folks we hope to collaborate with.  For now, check out this video of my boss Gillian Caldwell, who recently resigned after 10 years at WITNESS, articulating the connections between climate change and human rights and the need to link the environmental and social justice movements.  Stay tuned for more updates about our work with Green for All!