How to Change the World

There’s never been a better time to do environmental training. Why? Because there is a rapidly growing body of evidence that ‘green jobs’ can boost employment at the same time as improving social, economic and environmental outcomes. Yet the counter-factual myths persist: in recessions, governments say ‘Let’s boost the economy first and reduce public debt next, then this will give us the money to invest in sustainability later’; and businesses say ‘I can’t afford to save the planet – I have to save my business first!’ At the same time, people are urged both to buy more ‘stuff’ to keep the economy going, while increasingly disillusioned with empty consumerism –and are simultaneously urged to save more in order to reduce private debt. Of course, they also want some of the increasingly scarce jobs. And everyone’s worried about how to transition to a more sustainable economy that’s less dependent on fossil-fuelled growth and kinder to both people and the environment. Macroeconomist Josh Bivens investigated the employment effects of the December 2011 US law approving environmental regulations to reduce emissions of mercury, arsenic and other toxic metals1. It could prevent up to 11,000 premature deaths each year and deliver many other health benefits, but pre-passage, a lot of people were concerned it would ‘kill jobs’. When Bivens investigated it in detail2 he found that far from killing jobs, the ‘toxics rule’ could create over 100,000 jobs in the US by 2015. Bivens’ message is ‘going green won’t kill jobs during hard times’: when the economy is doing well, environmental regulation has no effect on job growth; but when it isn’t, such regulation is very likely to create jobs. These days, we need more jobs – and green jobs most of all.