Van Jones

Robert Stavins can't walk and chew gum at the same time

One of my New Year's resolutions is to blog more about the general lameness of the economics profession when it comes to energy and climate issues. (Note to self: How about losing a few pounds?)

I was in the midst of putting this resolution off for a few weeks when I saw a quote by Robert Stavins that seemed to sum up the value-subtracted that economists bring to the world.

In an otherwise excellent New Yorker article on Van Jones' efforts to push a green jobs agenda, which I will blog on separately, Elizabeth Kolbert feels compelled to "balance" Jones with some people who don't think it's a good idea to simultaneously address the climate problem and the poverty/jobs problem. Who else could a respectable journalist turn to than an economist, a profession that arguably has cost the country and the world more jobs than any other?

Indeed, I remember Bill Clinton opining at a Georgetown conference in 1997 on why he ignored the advice of Administration economists, like Larry Summers, who urged him not to adopt a serious greenhouse gas emissions target at Kyoto. Clinton said his economic team had assured him that his balanced budget plan would be a job killer, so he pretty much took everything they said from that point on it with a grain of salt. But I digress.

Kolbert manages to elicit this amazing response from one of our leading economists:

More on Jones and green jobs in the New Yorker

Elizabeth Kolbert waxes New Yorker-ish over Van the Man. You know, in case you've been busy under that rock.

Van Jones talks to Grist about his NYT bestseller on the green-collar economy

By now, Van Jones is a familiar face on Grist (heck, he’s even got his own tag). David noted previously that Jones has a new book, The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems, and Jones wrote about the book here earlier this month. This week, Jones’ new book made […]

Why are you still reading this? Go buy Van Jones’ new book!

Watch this video: Now watch this video: Now go buy Van Jones’ new book!

The whole economy needs to be green collar

Bob Herbert lays out a strong argument for a focus on jobs in his column “A Fool’s Paradise”: The economy won’t be saved by bailing out Wall Street and waiting for that day that never comes when the benefits trickle down to ordinary Americans. It won’t be saved until we get serious about putting vast […]

It’s time to build the green-collar economy

This post originally ran on Wonk Room. —– At best, the federal government’s bail out of Wall Street will help the U.S. economy — which is already in a ditch — avoid a total meltdown. Fine. Now we need a plan to jumpstart the economy and actually get America moving again. In my new book, […]

Van Jones talks about the National Day of Action

Green-job advocates Green for All have just moved into a lovely new office space in Oakland, California. There’s plenty of natural light, beautiful bamboo floors, and lots of room to grow. Unfortunately, their charismatic founder, Van Jones, hasn’t had much chance to enjoy it. Jones is one of the faces at the forefront of the […]

Grist talks to enviro leaders about what the next administration needs to do on climate

Van Jones was at the Democratic National Convention this week to talk about green jobs, justice, and the economic growth potential in a new, green economy. I caught him for a few minutes to talk about the message he’s bringing to the convention, and about whether he’d take a job in an Obama administration. Green […]

Energy is a hot topic at the DNC; also, Death Cab

Here it is, almost 3 a.m., I’m at my hotel, and this is the first time I’ve had an internet connection all day. There’s no wireless in the convention hall and no wireless at any of the venues I’ve been to so far. There’s (allegedly spotty, slow) wireless at the Big Tent for bloggers, but […]