Despite billions of public dollars going toward education, health care and infrastructure projects as part of the federal stimulus package passed earlier this year, unemployment in the U.S. is higher than it has been since the early 1980’s. Of the $780 billion stimulus package passed earlier this year, nearly $80 billion has been set aside for ‘green’ projects, such as upgrading regional utility grids, increasing the energy efficiency of buildings and manufacturing solar panels and wind turbines for renewable energy installations across the country. Some are saying that this is merely the start of what is our best hope for creating new jobs in the U.S. What’s the next step? Passing climate and energy legislation that would further support green manufacturing jobs based on renewable energy, clean technology and energy efficiency investments.

This episode, we are joined by Jeff Rickert, Director of the AFL-CIO Center for Green Jobs who talks about how the new energy economy is our best hope to revitalize American labor so we don’t get left behind in the global clean tech markets of the future.

[Music: Sonny Clark, "Cool Struttin" from Cool Struttin' (Blue Notes Records, 1958) and Billy Bragg and Wilco, "Way Over Yonder in the Minor Key" from Mermaid Avenue (Elektra, 1998)]