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Building Bridges: Community Involvement for a Greener Future-And Secure Jobs

Throughout the United States and throughout the world, green energy has been rocking power industries-offering higher efficiency, greater environmental sustainability, and lower long-term costs. However, this isn't always the result of savvy new start-up corporations sweeping down into a lucrative new market; local communities large and small have been taking the initiative themselves to develop their own renewable energy infrastructure. This grass-roots movement has grown to a substantial scale, often with outstanding success.

These stories crop up everywhere- of communities organizing together to take up green projects which are not only profitable investments for themselves, but healthy for other communities all over the planet. The California Clean Energy Workforce is set to offer a new free adult education green-technology training class in San Diego. Big Stone County, Minnesota has organized a community-owned company called Little Rock Wind, which expects to construct large wind farms. A school in Rosemant, Illinois plans to soon install solar panels atop the school roof.

The community of Portland, Oregon has organized an effort that is expected to offer citizens the opportunity to invest in solar energy for greatly reduced prices. The Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation in Todd County, South Dakota has constructed its own wind turbine. Summit County, Colorado, as of the beginning of this year, is also investigating and planning a new local clean energy initiative. The Interstate Renewable Energy Council is preparing to bolster community sustainable energy across several states. Similar movements have arisen in many states, including the economically devastated state of Michigan and even the deeply conservative state of Utah.

In other places of the world, the trend can be observed as well. Community efforts in India to build up wind and solar energy have attracted the attention of the International Financial Corporation, a subsidiary organization of the World Bank, and these extraordinary communities will receive millions of dollars of IFC funds backing their sustainable energy projects. The community of the city of Daylesford, Australia has built its own large wind farm. In Japan, a movement called teikei, wherein farmers sell organic produce directly to communities without processing, is growing rapidly in scope. In Denmark, an island community has successfully strengthened its production of hydrogen energy to the extent that they are now able to subsist on 100% green energy.

In addition to answering the moral imperative to secure a cleaner world for generations to come, there are attractive short-term benefits to green community projects as well-and not only energy savings. Communities which "go green" will often create a need for manufacturing and construction labor in order to construct green infrastructure, guaranteeing many immediate jobs as well as long-lasting careers in maintaining and managing the renewable energy apparatus.

The long and short of it is this: there is an unstoppable, worldwide movement rising and gathering steam, impelled by the dedication of individuals working together in communities of all sizes to secure a cleaner and more prosperous future for themselves, for the earth, and for us all.

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