Spring is in the air, at least here in Arizona! Before you head out for a weekend of fun, check out some of this week’s hot green jobs news stories.

 

The question has been asked before – is the Recovery Act funding actually hurting the green jobs movement? There has been concern that green jobs are being shipped overseas and the questions continue to be asked. In his commentary for the Washington Times, William Yeatman looks at whether the Obama administration plan will actually eliminate green jobs.

 

“The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing Thursday to investigate the slow pace of stimulus spending on green energy. Patricia Denton, testifying on behalf the Government Accountability Office, told the senators that the backlog in DOE's environmental outlays was caused by - wait for it - environmental regulations.”

 

Read the entire article: Green jobs mirage

 

Green jobs go beyond the clean energy industry. Eco-conscious farmers could also be considered to have a green job. What about urban farmers? Yes, some urban farmers could be considered to have a green job. The city of Los Angeles is working to promote green jobs and recently awarded 31 gardeners with certifications of completion for a green gardening training course. This pilot program was funding with Recovery Act dollars.

 

“The training, which takes 48 hours over six days, educates gardeners in sustainable strategies for making better use of water, such as incorporating drought-tolerant plants, drip irrigation with more advanced controllers, and mulch. The curriculum, developed by the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers Watershed Council, also focuses on soil types, sun patterns, microclimates and how to work with clients to educate them in water-saving gardening practices.”

 

Read the entire article: Growing vegetables and jobs

 

Green jobs naysayers have used the Spanish solar industry as their anti-green jobs poster project. Unfortunately, the Spanish renewable energy woes continue. In a New York Times article, Elisabeth Rosenthal examines how the Spanish solar industry has come to an abrupt halt after government officials realized that the industry would need indefinite subsidies.

 

“But as low-quality, poorly designed solar plants sprang up on Spain’s plateaus, Spanish officials came to realize that they would have to subsidize many of them indefinitely, and that the industry they had created might never produce efficient green energy on its own.”

 

Read the entire article: Solar Industry Learns Lesson in Spanish Sun

 

In an Arlington, Virginia speech, President Obama continued to show his support for the importance of green jobs. Green jobs will help push the nation towards a must-needed clean energy economy. Watch his entire speech in this video.

 

Watch: Obama: Creating new jobs in a clean energy economy