The Question of Green Jobs and the Economic Future in Florida

As we move toward the November elections, one item that is and will continue to be a topic of debate and deliberation is the state of the economy.  From what we have observed, it appears the actual condition of the nation’s economy is difficult for many to understand. Professional economists as well as the general public are often conflicted in their assessments of the current state of the economy, and there is even more discord about our economic future.  The situation is no different in Florida, and if anything, Florida’s economy may be even more challenging to understand and evaluate.   Of course, a clear grasp of economic conditions is rendered especially difficult due to the political bickering that seems to preoccupy the media. From an ecological perspective, we might gain insight into current economic conditions (and problems in understanding them) by considering the role of the “green economy” in the larger cultural debate.

Of particular interest is a recent article on the criticism of “green jobs” offered up by some important political leaders and shapers of popular thought.  The author (Jorge Madrid) takes issue with this criticism and presents five reasons why it should be greeted with skepticism.  Madrid’s rebuttal of the attack on green jobs reveals the crucial role of such jobs in sustaining healthy natural, cultural, and (yes) economic ecologies.  To Madrid’s five reasons, we could add many more.

Do you have your own reasons in regard to Florida’s natural, cultural, and economic ecologies? We’d love to hear what you have to say in the comments below.

Here is one to get your thinking started:  Increasing incentives for green jobs in Florida will provide a work force and network ready and able to implement the wide array of new programs and technologies now being developed — from solar power to recycling processes, organic farming to electric cars, resource recapture systems to community planning. There are incredible “green” advances being made in all these areas.  Without a workforce prepared for commercial application of these sustainable initiatives, however, Florida will continue to lag behind other parts of the nation and the world.

> Read Madrid’s full story here.