Big Business Goes Green

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A trend is emerging in the way U.S. corporations do business. Many companies are looking for ways to use green business practices to create jobs and make more money. Two national conferences were held in March to discuss ways in which being environmentally friendly can be good for business.

At the ECO:nomics conference, held in Santa Barbara, California, CEOs, politicians, and environmental experts met to discuss environmental regulations on businesses, alternative energy, and new environmental business strategies.

At the Good Jobs, Green Jobs conference, held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, experts and businesspeople discussed the ways in which a growing demand for alternative energy is creating new jobs and investment opportunities.

The new “green” economy includes jobs building alternative energy equipment and jobs in the transportation and packaging industries, among others. There are about 8 million green jobs in the United States now.

Top executives at big companies have begun to criticize the U.S. government’s policies on alternative energy. The executives believe that if the United States does not develop a clear climate change policy, we will lose many manufacturing jobs to other countries that have invested in alternative energy.

Several large energy and utility companies have joined environmental groups in the U.S. Climate Action Partnership, a group that tries to help determine environmental laws and policy.

Related Links

  • CEOs See Green Energy Policies Preserving U.S. Jobs
    Executives from some of the country’s largest industries and California Governor Arnold Swarzenegger are calling for stricter regulations on climate change.
    (Source: Reuters, March 15, 2008)
  • Green Energy Demand Means More Jobs
    Story covers the Good Jobs, Green Jobs conference, and discusses the ways that environmentally friendly business practices can create new jobs.
    (Source: Reuters, March 14, 2008)
  • Corporate Leaders Discuss Challenges of a Low-Carbon World
    Covers the ECO:nomics conference, and discusses the ways in which large companies like Wal-Mart are working to reduce packaging and increase energy efficiency.
    (Source: GreenBiz News, March 14, 2008)
  • Protecting Our Nation’s Environment
    Site from the U.S. government discusses U.S. environmental policy and what the government is doing to protect the environment.
    (Source: The White House)

Critical Thinking Questions

  1. Summarize
    What were the goals of the environmental conferences held in March in Pittsburgh and Santa Barbara?
  2. Draw Conclusions
    Many large corporations have traditionally been against environmental regulations by the government. Why are they asking for them now?
  3. Analyze
    Explain how companies can be environmentally friendly and still create jobs and make money.


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Robots weld auto bodies on an assembly line.

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