The focus on green jobs is misplaced Commentary: Hype overshadows reality

The focus on green jobs is misplaced

Commentary: Hype overshadows realityhttp://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-focus-on-green-jobs-is-misplaced-2012-09-06

By Diana Furchtgott-Roth

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — The Democratic Party, in quadrennial convention in Charlotte, N.C., this week, is in thrall to “green jobs.”

The party platform declares:

“And we will continue to champion sustainable growth that includes the clean energy that creates green jobs and combats climate change.”

What are green jobs? The various definitions are confusing and contradictory. Just as “green” has become a fashionable label, meant to signify a commitment to the environment (or to combatting global warming), so the Labor Department sometimes slaps a “green” label on old jobs. Authentically green jobs, those that conserve energy, reduce toxic residue, or diminish carbon emissions, can be costly.

With job creation weak and unemployment high — new figures, for August, are due out on Friday — the focus on costly green jobs is misplaced.