Green New Deal

Mike posted about this on Saturday, but I was reading an article this morning and came across the most amazing point.

"It's a smart thing to do for the economy and a strategically wonderful thing to do for the environment," said David Foster, executive director of the Blue Green Alliance, a partnership between the Sierra Club and United Steelworkers that works to develop green jobs. His group points to a University of Massachusetts report earlier this fall that said a $100 billion investment in clean technology could create 2 million new jobs in the next two years.

"It leads us down the path for energy independence," he said. "It's a historic opportunity."

That's 1/7 of the bank bailout, or roughly 10 months in Iraq to create 2 million new jobs. I think Obama needs to get rolling on this while he's got support in congress. Can't we inaugurate him now.

Sustainable Business channel on Edie.net

http://www.edie.net/channel.asp?channel=1

A good web site for anybody keeping track of green-collar job opportunities.

Sustainable Construction in Michigan

Michigan Redevelopment Project Featured

It might be a marketing challenge to sell homes on contaminated property, but if they package it as a EPA partnership promoting the latest in sustainable construction techniques, it might work.

Would you buy a home in that neighborhood?

Green Business Idea: Fresh Food Fast

As most of you guys know, I am a vegetarian. According to a University of Chicago study a vegetarian diet can lower your carbon footprint by as much as 1.5 tons. Unfortunately, I know that a chain of fast food vegetarian restaurants would not succeed, outside of perhaps a few niche cities like San Fransisco.

Perhaps though a chain of Fresh Food Fast restaurants could succeed. The idea would be that the basic assembly line method that has made restaurants like McDonald's and Burger King successful would be utilized, but coupled with local produce. Local franchisees would partner with local suppliers of meat, dairy, eggs, and seasonal vegetables. The economies of scale that McDonald's has would be lost, so prices would of course be higher. I for one, and I think a lot of educated folks who go out and drop $25-$30 at a sit-down restaurant, would be more than happy to pay $15-$20 to get great food while foregoing the sit-down service.

Worst Green Idea Ever...

Composting Toilet

That's just horrible.  I don't see my wife allowing one of those in our house.