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Green-Collar Jobs

Most people don't associate poor, urban communities with solar panels, hybrid vehicles, or organic products. In fact, environmental and economic issues are often described as in conflict with each other. But we prefer to highlight some of the more holistic approaches that work across issues in innovative ways.


Photo by Brooke Anderson on Flickr A notable example is the Green-Collar Jobs Campaign led by the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights in Oakland, California. The campaign creates job opportunities for low-income people and people of color in the field of environmental sustainability. This strategy aims to solve several local and global issues at the same time, by increasing job opportunities and skills training, creating alternatives to incarceration, and working towards a healthier planet.

Do you know of any other initiatives that unite two causes that are usually pitted against each other? Leave a comment here to share an example.