Volunteers are needed to help with phone banks, tabling events, neighborhood walks and other public education tactics. Volunteer nights are being held from 6-8 pm on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month at the Sierra Club office, 36 W. Gay St.  The dates are May 9 & 23, June 13 & 27. Contact if you are able to help.

Global Warming Solutions Mean Real Jobs for Ohioans

For years, policymakers stalled progress in the fight against global warming using the empty argument that “this will cost us jobs and hurt the economy.” Thankfully, we have started to move beyond that inaccurate rhetoric as it becomes increasingly apparent that the solutions for a cleaner energy future can mean more jobs right here in Ohio.

The Sierra Club’s “Cool Cities” campaign encourages municipalities to install solar technology on city buildings as a way to promote clean, renewable power. Where do these solar panels come from?  They could come from right in our own backyard. Companies such as First Solar, LLC in Perrysburg – a producer of thin film photovoltaic technology – is one of the fastest growing manufacturers of solar modules in the world.

In a 2003 report for the Environmental Law and Policy Center, the Regional Economics Applications Laboratory found that the growth of clean energy could mean thousands of jobs and billions of dollars for Ohio’s economy. The report projects that Ohio could see the addition of 26,000 net new jobs by 2010, and 39,000 net new jobs by 2020. This would mean $2.6 billion of increased economic impact by 2010, and $4.5 billion by 2020. Those are real jobs, with real dollars for real Ohioans and should be taken seriously by policymakers, especially as many of Ohio’s traditional industrial jobs leave the state.

Whether it’s a solution as large as a wind turbine, or as small as a compact fluorescent light bulb, these solutions are manufactured someplace.  Given Ohio’s large workforce, we have an opportunity to create a state where when we enact common-sense, cost-saving global warming solutions in our communities. We can feel good knowing that the solutions we support are providing jobs to our friends and neighbors.