Jobs AND Environment: The Solar Industry Economically Benefits Our American War Veterans

Let’s face it; the environment is currently a seriously hot topic. The first Earth Day took place on April 22^nd, 1970, and launched the modern environmental movement. Ever since that initial launch, traditional American pastimes – like tourism or farming, to give some examples – have tangled with more modern “green” views – like preservation and sustainability – to create a new American value. As Americans, we can say to the world that we value the environment and all that it has to offer.

All that being said…the environment is not only a hot topic, but it is a topic that causes many Americans to “get all hot and bothered.” We not only value the environment, but we also value the concept of the American Dream and all that it has to offer – happiness, prosperity, and the cash that it takes to achieve said happiness and prosperity. Oftentimes, these two ideas are pitted against each other in debate: would we rather improve the environment or the economy? It always seems like the argument is “Jobs vs. Environment,” with a capital “J” and a capital “E.”

A great new report highlights the fact that this doesn’t have to be the case! We shouldn’t be talking about Jobs vs. Environment – instead, we should be talking about how we can make the environmental movement benefit the American economy…

…because it can! Check THIS REPORT out. Operation Free and The Solar Foundation have released a new report that details some really exciting news for proponents of the “Jobs AND Environment” argument. This report details, “the U.S. solar industry employs 13, 192 veterans of the armed forces, a figure which represents 9.2% of all solar workers in the nation, exceeding the percentage of veteran employment in the overall economy.”

According to THIS recent article released by the Washington Post this past Veteran’s Day, the unemployment rate for recent veterans is around 10%...a rate which is abnormally high. The solar industry, an industry that depends on the push for more sustainable energy and a cleaner environment, creates economic support for those veterans that may not have it otherwise. 

If, as a nation, we can stop arguing “Jobs vs. Environment” and start looking for solutions to the strain that many Americans are feeling on their wallets, then the solar industry (or the sustainable energy industry in general) might be able to flourish more readily. The environment will benefit, our American citizens will benefit economically, and seemingly binary American values will both be able to thrive within the concept of the American Dream.