The California Latino Legislative Caucus recently joined with academicians, other politicians, social leaders and businesspeople to talk about ways to boost Latino participation in the green economy.
"This is a tremendous opportunity for Latino-owned businesses, workers, and our next generations to boost their participation in California's economy," said 22nd District California State Senator Gilbert Cedillo, who chairs the caucus, which brings together Latinos elected officials in both the State Assembly and Senate.
Cedillo, who represents parts of the Pico-Union and Westlake districts west of Downtown along with the city's center and much of the Eastside, offered his remarks at the outset of the Green Jobs Summit held on October 29 and 30 at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles.
The summit coincided with an October 30 announcement by Commissioner Dian Grueneich of the California Public Utilities Commission, who offered her first public comments on the recent approval of a $3.9 billion investment in energy efficiency programs. The commission's expenditure is expected to spur the creation of between 15,000 and 18,000 new jobs, according to state officials. The programs dedicates $122 million for personnel training, $260 million for environmental programs by local governments, and $750 million to provide low-income individuals and families with subsidies on energy-efficient appliances and retrofits to make homes more environmentally efficient.
"We are pleased to work with Senator Cedillo and the Latino Caucus to engage Latinos and Latino-owned businesses in each of the program areas," said Commissioner Grueneich.
The state program comes as the $787 billion federal stimulus package instituted by the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama continues to work its way into the economy, with a variety of efforts targeting the green economy.
Cedillo said that the current economic recession has many in the Latino community worried about having any job at all. But he also pointed out that the green economy offers possibilities new jobs or contracts for "college graduates, businesses in the construction, industrial, commercial and agricultural sectors, and workers displaced by the worst economic crisis in a generation."
The same jobs and contracts will also "improve the environmental outcomes and strengthen their financial well-being."
"California has rich natural resources that uniquely position us to develop a broad green energy portfolio," Cedillo said. "We also have a very diverse population, and competitive world-class businesses and educational institutions. By focusing our efforts we can improve environmental outcomes, build better communities and better jobs."
Orson Aguilar, executive director of the Berkeley, California-based Greenlining Institute said that the push for awareness in the Latino community is as important for the future as the present.
"There'll be thousands of jobs," said Aguilar, whose organization describes itself as "a national policy, organizing, and leadership institute working for racial and economic justice."
"We don't know yet what the jobs will be," Aguilar said. "That's why we're here, to know more clearly, to know who the employers are [that we should] to apply to."
Aguilar said that he believes the Latino community is ready to consider the green economy, but still needs more information.
"Hopefully, this will happen here and there will be jobs that are sustainable and will give resources so people may have a better quality of life," Aguilar said.
Aguilar emphasized that members of the Latino community have their own role to play in seeking the opportunities of the green economy.
"The most important thing is for people to do their homework, and go to the library to see what programs there are in the green economy," he said. "There are several programs, but people have to go out and look for them. That's the first recommendation. They should see where the opportunities are — and if there's a waiting list, you should sign up now for the programs that are starting up."
Aguilar said that it is important to provide some support for Latino-owned businesses seeking a place in the green economy, too. He urged Latino business owners to seek out information on possible contracts as well as any training or other programs required to become certified as qualified vendors. Businesses might also face requirements that they meet certain environmental standards in their own operations.
"For example, a certificate that can help a business to sell green merchandise to other businesses," Aguilar said. "If one wants to do business with a company like Home Depot, for example, they're asking they be green in practice, so, you have to take advantage of the opportunities that there are, but you have to look for them."
Aguilar recommended that businesspeople talk to their elected representatives or chambers of commerce to see about training programs.
How many jobs or contracts go to Latinos is a matter that can be tracked by the Latino Caucus if the organization flexes its political muscle in Sacramento, according to Aguilar.
"They can ask for information, and if they see that there aren't enough jobs for Latinos, they can ask the agencies in charge of the resources to change the practices so there'll be jobs for the community," he said.
Karen Douglas, chairperson of the California Energy Commission, gave a keynote address, citing the state's leadership in renewable energy innovation and targets for reducing emissions. She suggested that — unlike the recent economic boom based on a spike in real estate values — the benefits of the green economy movement would reach all levels of the workforce.
"The clean energy revolution done on scale with the demand for workers from a wider range of skill sets," Douglas said, adding that any advances will "be based on research from our universities which are among the best in the world, engineers, scientists; and also people in building, manufacturing and infrastructure."
For more information visit the website: http://www.energy.ca.gov/greenjobs, www.cressource.org
Mireya Olivera is editor of Impulso.
Photos by Impulso
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