A green economy

A recent British study comparing the American fossil fuel industry to the nation’s renewable energy industry reached some surprising conclusions.

Researchers at University College London found that the renewable energy economy in the United States has grown so much that 4% of the American working age population were employed by those industries in 2015-16 — including everything “green,” from solar panel and windmill installation to environmental consulting.

This represents about 10 times as many American workers as the fossil fuel industry (9.5 million jobs versus under a million).

The authors of the study conclude that the belief of our present governing administration that fossil fuels should be encouraged is “stupid economics,” regardless of whether or not politicians accept the overwhelming scientific consensus that global warming is a growing threat.

Ed Prior Poquoson