Stronger
Together
IN
JULY, I VISITED Hattiesburg, Mississippi, to
speak at a renewable energy panel that was
focused on the Biden administration’s proposed
$500-million investment in the first
commercial-scale green steel-manufacturing
facility in the world. The excitement of the
community, which will be the beneficiary of up
to 6,000 construction jobs and 560 permanent
jobs, was palpable. Green steel, which is
manufactured using renewable energy sources,
significantly reduces the emission of greenhouse
gases of one of our most important construction
materials.
The
rebirth of manufacturing jobs is bringing
economic resurgence to formerly “left behind”
communities across America. Noticeably, these
manufacturing jobs are being powered by the
climate goals contained in the Inflation
Reduction Act — landmark legislation
accomplished through decades of work by the
environmental movement.
The
future of work is here and now, as emerging
technologies transform industries without
compromising the environment. This hasn’t always
been the case. For decades, labor unions and
environmental advocates have seemed like
completely separate entities, yet they share
significant common ground in recognizing that
environmental degradation and labor exploitation
are often the result of the same corporate
greed. Advocates are slowly discovering that the
solution to both the climate crisis and high
unemployment lies in understanding that our
movements are stronger together. We don’t have
to choose.
CeCe Grant, campaign director
for Industrial Transformation at the Sierra
Club, makes the case for greater solidarity
between the labor and climate movements in this
opening essay of our special labor and
climate print
issue. | 
