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6-25-08
Building Economy and Protecting Environment at UW La Crosse
Topics from UW-L Town Hall Meeting
By JOE ORSO | La Crosse Tribune
http://www.lacrossetribune.com/articles/2008/06/25/news/z06green.txt
A new alliance
between workers and environmentalists seeks to create green jobs
in Wisconsin and across the nation.
“Doing what’s
good for the environment has worked out to be what’s good for the
economy as well,” said Ryan Schryver, energy policy specialist for
Clean Wisconsin, at a town hall meeting Tuesday night at the University
of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
The meeting was part of a “Green Jobs for America ” campaign, a project
of the United Steelworkers, the Sierra Club, the Natural Resources
Defense Council and the Blue Green Alliance.
Schryver — one
of five panelists representing farming, private business, labor and
local government — opened the two-hour event with a PowerPoint explanation
of how global warming caused by humans burning fossil fuels is a
reality largely accepted by the scientific community.
“This is one of
the largest moral issues of our time,” he said.
Panelists talked
about how bringing jobs in manufacturing wind turbine parts, modernizing
the infrastructure of the energy grid and training electricians,
carpenters and others to work with green technology are all ways
to boost the economy in Wisconsin .
“How many people
have actually thought about whether their skills could be put to
work doing a green job?” asked Rosemary Wehnes, a Sierra Club representative
who moderated the event.
Bill Brockmiller,
a La Crosse County Board supervisor, said he sees very little resistance
to renewable energy among his constituents.
To those who do
resist, he said, he asks even if global warming is not a reality,
what’s wrong with finding alternatives to fueling cars when gasoline
costs $4 a gallon?
“Certain areas
get known for certain kinds of businesses, and I think Wisconsin
is in a position to become its own Silicon Valley for renewable energy,”
Brockmiller said.
Joe Orso can be
reached at (608) 791-8429 or jorso@lacrossetribune.com
5-28-08 Governor
Doyle Signs Great Lakes Compact
MILWAUKEE
– Governor Jim Doyle today was joined by business, government and
environmental leaders as he signed the Great Lakes Compact, a historic,
bipartisan agreement that will protect, preserve and improve the
Great Lakes .
“This
historic accord means that we will be managing our Great Lakes water
in a sustainable way that will protect one of the world’s greatest
natural resources,” Governor Doyle said. “The Great Lakes define
this region, and their waters sustain our recreation, our way of
life and our economy. Signing the Great Lakes Compact today is cause
for tremendous hope. This is a victory for us all.”
April
2008 Special Session Senate Bill 1 ratifies the Great Lakes Compact,
which was endorsed by Governor Doyle and seven fellow Great Lakes
Governors and two Canadian premiers in 2005. The Compact creates
unprecedented protections for the Great Lakes and ensures their continued
availability for regional economic growth. It bans long-distance
diversions and provides a framework for ensuring sustainable water
use in the Great Lakes basin.
The Compact
protects Wisconsin ’s communities by maintaining each Governor’s
veto power, while establishing defined criteria against which project
decisions or vetoes must be based. The Great Lakes Compact not only
keeps this important provision in place, but does so in a way that
sets standards for sustainable management of our waters. It also
sets up a reliable system for communities near the basin to receive
Great Lakes water. These communities will have clear standards that
will allow water use, but prevent the depletion of the Great Lakes
.
The Great
Lakes provide an important economic boon for Wisconsin and the Midwest
. They generate $55 billion in tourism for the region and create
nearly $377 million in personal income from wages and salaries. In
Wisconsin , the Great Lakes support more than 11,000 jobs in the
state’s ports.
In order
to become law, each state Legislature must ratify the Great Lakes
Compact and Congress must give its consent. In Wisconsin , lawmakers
overwhelming approved the Compact, passing it out of the Senate with
a 32-1 vote, and through the Assembly 96-1.
Wisconsin
joins Minnesota , Illinois , New York , and Indiana in completing
their legislative approval. Quebec and Ontario have also approved
it. Legislation is moving forward in Ohio and also before Pennsylvania
and Michigan . The next step for the Great Lakes Compact will be
Congressional approval.
Governor
Doyle thanked Senators Mark Miller and Neil Kedzie and Representatives
Jon Richards, Cory Mason and Scott Gunderson for their work on the
bill.
12-03-07
- Clean Energy Manufacturing
Could Bring 35,133 New Green Jobs to Wisconsin
Sierra
Club,
United
Steelworkers,
Good
Jobs
and
Livable
Neighborhoods
Applaud
the
Inclusion
of
a
National
Renewable
Electricity
Standard
in
Energy
Legislation
Today, the Blue-Green Action Alliance, the public policy partnership
of the Sierra Club and the United Steelworkers (USW), and Good Jobs
and Livable Neighborhoods (GJLN) released a new report, “Wisconsin’s
Road to Energy Independence,” detailing the thousands of new green
jobs that could be created by manufacturing the components for wind
turbines, solar panels, and other renewable energy equipment. The study,
prepared by the Renewable Energy Policy Project, found that 1,331 firms
in Wisconsin could benefit from 35,133 new jobs—including 25,179 from
wind turbine manufacturing and 4,943 in solar manufacturing.
The three counties that stand to gain the most manufacturing jobs
are Milwaukee, Waukesha and Racine Counties. These counties have
the most firms that are currently active in the industrial sectors
that could supply the component parts to meet the demand necessary
to meet a national renewable energy standard.
“Why order wind turbines from Denmark to put up in Fond du Lac County
when we know that Wisconsin has the workers and the factories to make
them right here in the state?” said Rosemary Wehnes, Sierra Club Midwest
Associate Rep. “Turbines from Tower Tech Systems, Inc in Manitowoc
(which has a contract with Denmark’s Vestas Wind Systems) and wind
power inverters from Magnetek Inc. in Menomonee Falls make sense for
both the environment and Wisconsin’s economy. Wisconsin’s been blessed
with the natural resources to help America fight global warming, now
it’s time for us to take advantage of Wisconsin’s human resources to
help put these smart energy solutions—and our citizens—to work.”
At a time when the U.S. is rapidly losing manufacturing jobs, renewable
energy manufacturing can revitalize communities across Wisconsin that
have lost jobs, as well creating a whole new generation of good-paying
manufacturing jobs. States across the country, such as Iowa, Arkansas,
Minnesota, and Pennsylvania, have already seen thousands of new jobs
created in the clean energy manufacturing sector.
“By pushing more renewable energy—something that will fight global
warming and protect the environment—Wisconsin can enjoy the same benefits
that other states are already seeing,” said Pam Fendt, Executive Director
of Good Jobs and Livable Neighborhoods. “Fighting global warming offers
us a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create a stronger, greener,
and more equitable economy, while leaving a cleaner planet and stable
climate for our children and grandchildren.”
Strong State and National Renewable Energy Standards Needed
The groups also applauded Congress for including a national Renewable
Electricity Standard (RES)—a requirement that 15 percent of our energy
come from renewable sources like wind, solar, and biomass—in the final
energy bill it is due to take up this week. After Republicans, led
by Sen. Pete Domenici of New Mexico, filibustered such a standard in
the Senate, it was passed by the House of Representatives in its version
of the energy bill. It is an essential provision in the final bill.
“The states that moved earliest and most aggressively to establish
renewable electricity standards have seen thousands of new jobs created
already,” said Carl Pope, Sierra Club Executive Director. “By enacting
a national standard, Congress could make sure that all states can benefit
from the green energy manufacturing boom. All the pieces are there,
Congress just needs to pass a final bill to flip the switch on America’s
clean energy future.”
Wisconsin has already shown leadership in passing a Wisconsin Renewable
Electricity Standard that would require 10% of electricity to come
from renewable sources by 2015.
"Right now, we have a historic opportunity to forge a new direction," said
Leo Gerard, International President of the United Steelworkers. "Investments
in environmentally friendly alternative energy programs at the state level, supported
by federal initiatives, can create a new surge of quality job growth while significantly
reducing our dependence on foreign oil. We cannot allow this opportunity to pass
us by. There are no good jobs without a clean environment, and vice-versa."
David Foster, Executive Director of the Blue Green Action Alliance,
said, “We believe environmental challenges like global warming represent
the most important economic opportunities of our generation. This study
confirms that view.”
In addition to creating thousands of new jobs, analyses have demonstrated
that enacting a national RES could save hardworking American families
up to $18 billion by 2020 on their energy bills by lowering the cost
of natural gas, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists. Savings
for consumers here in Wisconsin would add up to $280 million. This
would also benefit industry and farmers who also depend heavily on
natural gas.
“Representatives Gwen Moore, Steve Kagan, Dave Obey, Ron Kind, Tom
Petri* and Tammy Baldwin voted in favor of clean renewable energy when
Congress was working on its energy bills this summer,” said Rosemary
Wehnes. “We thank them for their vote on the House bill and hope they
will continue to work hard to ensure passage of a final energy bill
that includes the national Renewable Energy Standard passed by the
House. This is something that will benefit each and every one of us
by saving us money on our energy bills, protecting our environment,
and strengthening our state’s economy.”
*Rep. Petri voted against the Udall-Platts RES amendment but for passage
of the final House bill (HR3221.)
The Blue Green Action Alliance is a public policy partnership of the
United Steelworkers, North America’s largest manufacturing union, and
the 1.3 million members and supporters of the Sierra Club, the nation’s
largest grassroots’ environmental organization. BGA is headquartered
in Minneapolis, MN.
Good Jobs and Livable Neighborhoods, envisioning economic development
that benefits Milwaukee by investing in its people and neighborhoods.
Contact: Pamela Fendt, director, (414) 443-2090.
The Renewable Energy Policy Project is a Washington, DC-based think
tank that concentrates on analysis of the renewable energy industry.
For the past three years REPP has focused attention on the need for
state and federal policies that support the growth of the renewable
energy industry. George Sterzinger is Executive Director of REPP. He
can be reached at gsterzinger@repp.org and 202-293-2898, ext. 203.
For more information see the “Wisconsin’s Road to Energy Independence,”
report at: http://www.sierraclub.org/energy/bluegreenjobs/
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