Successful development of green technology manufacturing can mean a resurgence of manufacturing jobs in the U.S.. But in its earliest phases, green jobs policy has created more assembly jobs, as most products are still largely produced abroad, according to a recent New York Times article.
“Rather than ‘made in America,’ much of the green manufacturing to date is ‘assembled in America’ from parts made overseas,” wrote economics reporter Louis Uchitelle. Green manufacturing—including solar panels, wind technology and high-speed rail production—is still largely a product of Asia and Europe. In fact, according to Uchitell, “fewer than 200 factories in the United States are devoted to green production, employing no more than 15,000 workers.”
The motivation to develop green manufacturing is not solely based in job creation. Phyllis Cuttino, director of the Pew Environment Group’s Global Warming Campaign, an advocacy organization said, “We don’t want to swap our dependence on foreign oil for dependence on clean energy.”
Read the full article here.
