National Public Radio’s All Things Considered had a piece Monday about Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski, a second-term Democrat whose passions for fishing and the environment have made made him a central figure in Western environmental policy.
Oregon has sunk hundreds of millions of dollars and countless man hours promoting renewable energy projects as part of Kulongoski’s vision of a long-term solution to environmental and economic issues. The projects are intended to improve the state’s natural resources and bring green jobs to the state, which has an unemployment rate of nearly 12 percent.
Kulongoski suggests that he fishes for the same reasons most of us do: the escape from the hassle and hustle of our daily lives. It’s easy to see the link between his passions: if the water is contaminated or the rivers are dry, there’s no place to retreat.
For politicians like Kulongoski, the push for green jobs has to do with a comprehensive, long-term strategy for improving the country’s ecological outlook. It also gets votes.
Too often, the idea of green jobs and green living is associated with the tree-hugging logging fighters and other enviro-activists that often include the anti-hunting animal rights activists.
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
If governments are going to subsidize green jobs, perhaps they can look beyond the obvious roles of finding people to build wind farms and research ways to harness the sun’s energy to power office complexes. Including incentives for more wildlife biologists, conservation agents, outdoors educators and outdoors outfitters could do wonders for our environment. The more people we have enjoying our earth — not abusing it, or using it for political gain — the great impact individuals can have collectively.
Hunters and fishermen, and those who serve us, are among the greatest advocates of habitat restoration, clean water and air and wetlands preservation. Adding them to the green jobs outlook would bring a great expansion of ideas and help us attract more outdoorsmen.
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As an avid scuba diver and underwater game collector. I support the rights of hunters. I also support limits and restrictions placed to insure future harvests.
The more I learn about our food system and it’s absolute shortcomings I long for a return to individual responsibility. Instead of planting as much grass why not your favorite fruit or vegetable. Feedlot beef and pork is disgusting and I eat it every day. Even tonight. Hamburger that I have no idea where it came from or how many cows it came from.
We raise our own chickens for eggs, butchered a few. I support the idea of buying a cow having it butchered locally. At least that way you know your hamburger isn’t contaminated and consisting of 70 different cows and 6 different countries.
My dream green job is self supporting homestead. Growing fruits, grains, vegetables, and raising livestock to support my family and maybe a few more families. Shouldn’t be too hard.
A self-supporting homestead sounds wonderful. I live in the city and am limited to a caged bunny and maybe two hens. We can grow vegies, though.
Many people who have done this — and who have organic commercial farms — won’t talk about how hunting actually helps those farms.
Crops and gardens are to animals what Home Town Buffet is to retired folks, and a livestock yard is like a fast food drive-through for predators. Hunting (or in some cases culling) is an important aspect of small green farm success.