World Journal (New York) - World Journal (New York) - Weekly Supplement
砍人第疫刀能源業重傷
Clean energy jobs in the US are being wiped out on a massive scale by the economic shutdown caused by the Covid-19 pandemic,according to new data from the advocacy and research group Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2). At least 106,400 jobs in the clean energy sector—for builders of electric vehicles,installers of solar panels,energy efficiency retrofitters, and more—were lost in March alone, the analysis found.根據維權與研究組織「環境新創家」(Environmental Entrepreneurs，E2)的新數據，新冠肺炎大流行造成的經濟衰退大規模抹滅美國乾淨能源的工作。該分析指出，光是3月乾淨能源業就流失至少10萬6400份工作，包括電動車組裝工人、太陽能板安裝人員、節電裝潢人員等。
With many construction projects on hold, companies slashing discretionary spending, and crucial clean energy tax credits up in the air“, those workforces are getting thrown to the sidelines,”said Ellen Hughes-Cromwick, a fellow at the think tank Third Way and former Obama administration economist who was not involved in the E2 analysis“. Clean energy is one of the first things to get thrifted when you go into a downturn.”
智庫Third Way研究人員兼前歐巴馬政府經濟學者艾倫‧休斯克姆威克(Ellen Hughes-Cromwick)表示，許多建案停擺之際，企業開始刪減自由裁量支出，而且重要的乾淨能源稅務減免依舊無定論，「那些勞力就被丟到邊緣」；未參與E2分析的休斯-克姆威克指出：「乾淨能源是衰退時首先遭刪減的項目之一。」
If the pattern continues, the sector could lose half a million jobs by the summer, E2 projects, wiping out the growth of at least the last five years. E2預測，如果這種型式持續下去，乾淨能源業在夏季前可能流失50萬個工作，抹滅至少過去五年增加的工作機會。
Most of the March job losses were in the energy efficiency subsector, which involves upgrades to commercial and office buildings. With most of those closed and construction jobs put off, there’s little work to be done. 3月流失的多數工作屬於節能子產業，包含商辦大樓的節能升級。多數大樓關閉而且施工延期，目前沒有什麼工作機會。
April is likely to be“another ugly month,”Hughes-Cromwick said. The numbers aren’t likely to rebound for some time, even after social distancing measures are relaxed, she said: Consumer spending and capital investment by companies are both likely to remain tepid, especially for non-essential services like clean energy, while the economy gets back on its feet.休斯-克姆威克表示，4月可能是「另一個難看的月份」。就算放寬社交距離措施，這個數字可能會有一段時間無法回升；她表示，經濟逐漸恢復時，消費者支出與企業資本投資可能依舊不溫不火，尤其是乾淨能源等非必要服務業。