In October, the Center for American Progress released a report by economists at the University of Massachusetts Political Economy Research Institute called, “Green Recovery.” The report (definitely worth a close study) showed that a $100 billion green economic investment could create 2 million US jobs in two years—not to mention the wonders it would do for breaking our dangerous fossil fuel addiction and cleaning up the climate.
A groovy new map on the CAP website illustrates how allocations to 34 states from this “green recovery program” would translate to net job creation and the dent this would make on each state’s unemployment rate (based on September 2008 unemployment figures).
The CAP program proposes to boost public investment (and leverage private capital through loan guarantees) in six energy efficiency and renewable energy strategies: retrofitting buildings to improve energy efficiency; expanding mass transit and freight rail; constructing “smart” electrical grid transmission systems; wind power; solar power; and next-generation biofuels.
It would create 42,689 new jobs in Washington, reducing unemployment by 22.9 percent (from 5.3 to 4.1 percent).
In Oregon, 27,306 jobs would be created—cutting unemployment by 23.7 percent.
