Rendell pushes for more green jobs

    Pennsylvania is continuing its efforts to create 65 thousand green jobs within the next 10 years and reduce pollution. That’s according to Governor Ed Rendell, who paid a visit to this year’s BuildGreen 2009 Conference at the Friends Center in Philadelphia. The choice of venue was no accident.

    Pennsylvania is continuing its efforts to create 65 thousand green jobs within the next 10 years and reduce pollution. That’s according to Governor Ed Rendell, who paid a visit to this year’s BuildGreen 2009 Conference at the Friends Center in Philadelphia. The choice of venue was no accident.

    Listen:
    [audio: 091014tmgreen.mp3]

    The Friends Center has just finished a multi-million dollar green renovation, which includes a green roof, along with geothermal heating and cooling. Patricia McBee is interim Executive Director of the facility. She says going green wasn’t easy and unplanned delays were commonplace.

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    McBee: Like the day they spend half a day drawing the drill bit up from the 15 hundred foot depth and discovered the bit wasn’t on the end of the rod so they spent the next day fishing it back out again, which they did succeed. Things like this were happening all along.”

    The Governor says creating a plan to reduce carbon emissions is necessary to save the environment, and it will also bring new jobs installing everything from solar panels to windmills and green roofs if done properly. The state’s plan is available for public comment on the internet through next month.

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