News & Comment
Blogs and Opinion
Can we restore U.S. leadership in solar manufacturing? by Climate Progress, climateprogress.org | March 8, 2010
The United States created the solar cell industry and literally launched it into space 50 years ago. Solar PV is going to be one of the largest job-creating industries of the century, projected to grow “from a $20 billion industry in 2007 to $74 billion by 2017” (see “Invented here, sold there”). read more »Why are We Afraid to Create the Jobs We Need? by Les Leopold, blogs.alternet.org | March 5, 2010
It’s not rocket science to create decent and useful jobs, (although it does go beyond the current cranial capacity of the U.S. Senate). It’s obvious that we desperately need to repair our infrastructure, increase our energy efficiency, generate more renewable energy, and invest in educating our young. We need millions of new workers to do all this work–right now. Our government has all the money and power (and yes, borrowing capacity) it needs to hire these workers directly or fund contractors and state governments to hire them. Either way, workers would get the jobs, and we would get safer bridges and roads, a greener environment, better schools, and a brighter future all around. So what are we waiting for? read more »Confronting Zombie Economist Tautologies by Natasha Chart, OurFuture.org | March 5, 2010
While "zombie economists" keep repeating free trade, free trade, free trade, the US is losing ground in the clean energy market to countries like Germany, which created its own market before it was cost efficient, AFL-CIO deputy chief of staff, Thea Lee, said yesterday at a Center for American Progress panel on clean energy development. "Just because it's not cost efficient today doesn't it won't be 5, 10, 20 years from now," she said. read more »NUMMI Closing Highlights Need for U.S. Manufacturing Policy by Tula Connell, OurFuture.org | March 5, 2010
Closing the New United Motors Manufacturing Inc. automotive plant in California will eliminate 25,000 jobs in the state and cost taxpayers $2.3 billion to replace the jobs lost, according to a March 3 report by University of California professor Harley Shaiken. read more »California Factory Closing - HUGE Impact - Steps You Can Take by Dave Johnson, OurFuture.org | March 4, 2010
Toyota is planning on closing the New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. NUMMI auto-manufacturing plant in Fremont, CA on March 31. The immediate effect is a loss of 5,000 jobs. But, as with any factory closing, the effects ripple out well beyond the immediately obvious. read more »Manufacturing Recovery Myth Response by Hale Stewart, OurFuture.org | March 4, 2010
In response to my article "No, Virginia, Manufacturing Isn't Dead" Mr. Scott has published as article titled "The Myth of the Manufacturing Recovery." Regrettably, his rebuttal is deeply flawed both in tone and substance. read more »Friedman on Competitiveness: Identifies Problem, Offers Exactly Wrong Solution by Dave Johnson, OurFuture.org | March 3, 2010
Americans who travel out of the country will tell you about how the US is so visibly falling further and further behind the rest of the world. This hurts our ability to compete economically. The cause of the problem was tax cuts. The solution is certainly not more tax cuts. read more »Just Go Away, Already! by Natasha Chart, OurFuture.org | March 3, 2010
So this Media Matters piece about the ACORN video hoax has conservative turd-stirrer Andrew Breitbart describing ACORN rally attendees as "common street thugs, the dregs of society." After writing yesterday about the screw the peasants mentality that governs this country, a featured read more »Whirlpool Tells Callers: Call Congress. They're Right! by Dave Johnson, OurFuture.org | March 2, 2010
In the middle of this terrible jobs crisis Whirlpool is closing a factory in the US and sending the jobs to Mexico. Their Mexican workers will be paid $70 a week. read more »Clean Energy Here -- Not So Clean Hands Over There by Leo Hindrey, Huffington Post | March 2, 2010
This Thursday, March 4, I am addressing the Apollo Alliance on Clean Energy and Good Jobs on the subject of "How to Make the U.S. a Leader in the Clean Energy Economy", a topic made urgent in the midst of the ongoing Great Recession by the promising reality that 'the deployment of just wind and solar power has the potential to support globally 20 million new jobs by 2030 and trillions of dollars in revenue.' read more »
The Latest
More Evidence of Lack of Competitiveness of Many Chinese Exporters, nakedcapitalism.com | April 2, 2010
One argument we have made, which some readers find difficult to accept, is that China’s keeping its currency, the renminbi, at artificially cheap levels is tantamount to an across-the-board export subsidy (the proof that the RMB is artificially cheap comes via the fact that China has had to engage in massive dollar purchases to keep the RMB pegged at its target level. read more »
Holding back job growth? Workers' awesome output, The Washington Post | April 1, 2010
When workers become more efficient, it's normally a good thing. But lately, it has acted as a powerful brake on job creation. And the question of whether the recent surge in productivity has run its course is the key to whether job growth is finally poised to take off. read more »
U.S. solar startup says sold out through 2010, Reuters | April 1, 2010
The company raised $75 million last year in a financing round led by private equity firm Warburg Pincus LLC to expand its manufacturing capacity.
Demand for solar power products has rebounded after a difficult 2009, when the global credit crisis dried up financing for new projects and panel prices plummeted. read more »
Geithner visit to focus on industry, post-gazette.com | March 31, 2010
U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner is scheduled to arrive in Pittsburgh today, where he will be greeted by a chorus of calls to bolster ailing U.S. manufacturers by taking action against China's currency and trade policies. read more »
G-20 Leaders Seek Cooperation on Currencies for Balanced Growth, Business Week | March 31, 2010
President Barack Obama and four other Group of 20 leaders said currencies should be taken into account in efforts to deliver balanced global growth, a statement that may presage increased international pressure on China. read more »
GE Says European, U.K. Policy Drove Offshore Wind Investment, bloomberg.com | March 26, 2010
General Electric Co. plans to invest 340 million euros ($453 million) in developing and expanding wind-turbine operations in the U.K. and three European countries because of the region’s long-term support of renewable energy, the company’s power and water division chief said. read more »
A rail corridor along I-81 that would get traffic and the economy moving again, The Washington Post | March 26, 2010
Tool Firms Seek U.S. Aid , The Wall Street Journal | March 25, 2010
Cash-strapped small and midsize companies that supply critical parts to industrial giants are seeking a $30 billion U.S. loan-guarantee program and pressing General Motors Co. to speed up payments in hopes that other manufacturers will follow. read more »
Tool Firms Seek U.S. Aid , The Wall Street Journal | March 25, 2010
Cash-strapped small and midsize companies that supply critical parts to industrial giants are seeking a $30 billion U.S. loan-guarantee program and pressing General Motors Co. to speed up payments in hopes that other manufacturers will follow. read more »
China Officials Wrestle Publicly Over Currency, The New York Times | March 25, 2010
Chinese leaders are engaged in a bitter and unusually public struggle over whether to allow the renminbi to rise against the dollar or to escalate further a war of words with the United States over currency values. read more »
