By John Hickey, Political Chair of the Missouri Chapter of the Sierra Club
According to the most recent federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate in Missouri is 9.6%. Behind this statistic are thousands of workers struggling to pay their bills and keep food on the table. At the same time, 85% of the electricity we use in Missouri is generated by burning coal, contributing to global climate change.
What are our state legislators doing to address this twin crisis? Unfortunately, too many of them are playing partisan games instead of taking care of the people's business. Missouri representatives passed HCR 46 by a margin of 112 to 41. This resolution opposes the recent courageous, scientifically-based finding by the Environmental Protection Agency that greenhouse gases are a threat to public health and the welfare of current and future generations. It also opposes the landmark Waxman-Markey bill, the American Clean Energy Act of 2009, which is supported by the Sierra Club, claiming that action on climate change will mean fewer jobs in Missouri.
Of course, the vast majority of scientists agree that climate change is real and dangerous, so on that point the legislators are clearly wrong. But I want to focus on the jobs argument, because these legislators are wrong here as well. In fact, Missouri is full of examples of clean energy jobs. Look at the ABB plant in Jefferson City, where four hundred workers make transformers for wind generators. Look at the CG Power Systems plant in Franklin County, where workers also make transformers for wind generators, and which is expanding its factory and hiring over 100 new workers. Smith Electric Vehicles has begun assembly of battery-powered delivery vans in Platte County near the Kansas City Airport. The Ford plant in Claycomo is assembling hybrid vehicles, and recently added a third shift to keep up with demand.
All of these plants are putting Missourians to work in the clean energy economy. All of these plants are also part of international corporations who can put manufacturing facilities anywhere. What message is our State House sending to these businesses when the majority of the representatives vote for a measure denying global warming? Instead of embracing the clean energy economy, and generating new jobs and prosperity here, our legislators are telling the world that we in Missouri would rather just stick our head in the sand.
The Center for American Progress issued a report outlining the impact on Missouri of a Green Economic Recovery Program. This report estimates that a $1.8 billion investment program would generate over 43,000 new jobs to retrofit buildings, expand mass transit, modernize the power grid, and increase freight rail. Our state representatives should be debating what is the most efficient, cost-effective way to create good jobs and build a low-carbon economy, and stop wasting time on stunts designed to score partisan political points.
Fortunately, we Missourians have an opportunity to inject some sanity into the political process here, and get serious about attracting more clean energy jobs here. Because of term limits, over 50 of our 163 state representatives will be term-limited and unable to run for re-election. It will be another 8 years until we have such a big turn-over in our Legislature, so let's not miss this chance.
We Sierra Club members must evaluate the new set of candidates to decide which ones have a serious plan to build a clean energy economy and put Missourians back to work. Let's weed out the candidates who instead deny scientific evidence in order to advance a partisan political agenda. But we need membership involvement to do this. Participate in the candidate screening process organized by your local Sierra Club group. Participate in interviewing the candidates. Then volunteer to help elect these candidates.
We have the most influence as voters when there is no incumbent in a race. Let's use this opportunity. Let's change the focus of our Legislature from partisan political games to rebuilding our economy for the 21st Century.