Learn more at Consequence 09.

Ella Baker Center:

The Ella Baker Center family is deeply saddened by the news that Van Jones has resigned as Special Adviser on Green Jobs, Enterprise, and Innovation to President Obama. It’s a dark day when attacks based in half-truths, full lies, and old news deny the nation its most talented advocate in the fight against climate change and for rebuilding our economy.

“Smear campaigns designed to sabotage our movement for an equitable, green economy are attempts to distract people from what really matters: building a future that is green and just for everyone,” said Jakada Imani, Executive Director of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights. “It’s our dream, shared by Van Jones and so many others, that this country can rise above the politics of hate to once again become a beacon of hope and innovation for the world. When fear-mongering and sensationalism drown out important discussions about the real issues of the day, we all lose.”

Co-founded 13 years ago by Van Jones, the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights promotes positive solutions to some of the most pressing problems facing our country. At this critical time in our nation’s history, the Ella Baker Center champions policies that lift people up and bring about renewed hope and optimism for all. We’re outraged by the attacks Van and his family have suffered at the hands of those who have made it their mission to derail a clean, green, and just future for our country.

Van Jones has been lauded as a modern day civil rights hero and champion of change who has worked to bridge the gap between communities and across lines of race and class. For years, Van has helped lead the social and environmental justice movements with solution-oriented, market-based ideas that provide some of our most marginalized communities with effective tools to create lasting change in their lives — and for the greater good of their communities.

Under Van’s leadership, and continuing under the direction of Jakada Imani, the Ella Baker Center has led the charge to build California’s movement for a green-collar economy that truly creates opportunity for all by fighting poverty and climate change at the same time. Through vibrant, cross-sector coalitions that bring together unions, green businesses, environmental organizations, social justice groups, and education and training institutions, we’ve helped craft cutting edge public policy solutions and pilot programs like the Oakland Green Jobs Corps that prove what’s possible. Our focus has always been — and will remain — providing solutions that lift people up rather than tearing them down. Solutions that unite, not divide. Our goal — and Van’s — is simple: save the planet and its people.

Via 350:

Van Jones resigned his White House post as green jobs adviser after a week of incessant attacks from the far right of American politics claiming that he was a communist or a black nationalist or wild-eyed. These are wrong–we’ve known Van for years, and there’s no more thorough-going capitalist in the environmental movement, completely committed to the principle that before we talked about polar bears we needed to talk about jobs.

Youth climate activists the world over have been wearing green hard hats the last few years largely because of Van’s example. And no one spent more time trying to bridge the gaps between races and classes than Van, addressing one of the environmental movement’s most glaring weaknesses.

The reason the right wanted to bring him down was that he was effective. And if there’s even a glimmer of good news here, it’s that he’ll be freed from the restrictions of high officialdom to bring all his eloquence and all his energy to bear on the challenges we face. We’re very proud to be among his many many colleagues.

Via Think Progress:

Van Jones is an exceptional and inspired leader who has fought to bring economic and environmental justice to communities across our country.

He has chosen to resign because he believed he was serving as a distraction to the president’s agenda. I respect that decision.

Van was working to build a common ground agenda for all Americans, and I am confident he will continue that work. Unfortunately, his critics on the right could find no common ground with him.

Clearly, Van was the subject of a right-wing smear campaign shrouded in hypocrisy. Van’s chief tormentor Glenn Beck, who spent weeks engaged in vicious name-calling, retains his perch at Fox News after calling the president a racist who has “a deep-seated hatred for white people.” Van has set a standard that Beck would never impose upon himself.

I look forward to working with Van to move our country towards a clean energy economy that empowers and lifts up all Americans.

Via Think Progress:

I am resigning my post at the Council on Environmental Quality, effective today.

On the eve of historic fights for health care and clean energy, opponents of reform have mounted a vicious smear campaign against me. They are using lies and distortions to distract and divide.

I have been inundated with calls – from across the political spectrum – urging me to “stay and fight.”

But I came here to fight for others, not for myself. I cannot in good conscience ask my colleagues to expend precious time and energy defending or explaining my past. We need all hands on deck, fighting for the future.

It has been a great honor to serve my country and my President in this capacity. I thank everyone who has offered support and encouragement. I am proud to have been able to make a contribution to the clean energy future. I will continue to do so, in the months and years ahead.

Join us at StandWithVan.com to show your unwavering support for White House green jobs advisor Van Jones.

Like sharks in the water, a right-wing lynch mob led by notorious race-baiter Glenn Beck is now circling around White House green jobs advisor Van Jones.

On the surface, their complaint centers around Jones’ background and statements he previously made as an activist. Specifically, conservative blogs and media outlets have seized on a harshly-worded petition Jones signed in 2004 demanding further investigations into the 9/11 attacks. Jones has clarified since then, saying of the petition that “it certainly does not reflect my views, now or ever.”  But this is little more than the right-wing manufactured faux-outrage du jour. Beck began aggressively going after Jones in the wake of a campaign targeting Beck’s advertisers — organized by Color of Change — an advocacy organization Jones founded prior to taking a position in the administration.

Sadly, the Obama administration appears to be wavering in its support of Jones. This is not acceptable. A decision to throw one of their most charismatic communicators under the bus in a vein attempt to placate a racist witch-hunt would be both foolish and ineffective. Van Jones is exactly the type of principled and effective leader we need more of in government — not less. President Obama should make a strong public statement as soon as possible, reiterating his full support for green jobs advisor Van Jones.

Fight Back

1. Show your support for Van Jones by using the #supportvan hashtag on Twitter. Your tweet will be displayed in the grid below.

2. Sign the Color of Change petition asking Glenn Beck’s advertisers to stop supporting Beck’s hateful agenda. You can also donate to Color of Change here.

3. Become a Fan of Van Jones on Facebook.

Statements of Support

Brad Johnson at The Wonk Room writes:

White House green jobs advisor Van Jones is under attack from Fox News as an “avowed radical revolutionary communist” and from ABC News as a “truther” with a “history of incendiary and provocative remarks.” In an attempt to assassinate the character of Van Jones, the right-wing media are distorting his past political activism and cherry-picking Jones’s critiques of the pollution and injustice that still haunt this nation. However, Jones’s true record is one of turning away from anger and finding hope, abandoning division and seeking consensus.

David Roberts at Grist writes:

This is all about bitch-slap politics. If Jones drops out, think Beck or the right-wing slime industry will stop? Think they won’t keep going after Carol Browner, John Holdren, and the rest—twisting and attacking every word and gesture from the Obama administration? “Uncovering” people as wildly caricatured leftists? Faux-populist fear merchants are like sharks; they have to keep moving, keep eating. There’s no sating them. Letting Beck bag Jones would be like chum in the water.

Adam Siegel at Get Energy Smart Now writes:

Fox’s Beck has turned his attention from President Barack Obama to increasingly vitriolic and deceptive attacks on a White House staff member, Van Jones, who has responsibilities related to Green Jobs. Beck’s attacks are deceptive and despicable, on multiple levels, and demean not just Jones, but American democracy and the very concept of moving forward toward a more prosperous America, for both the nation and its citizens.

Martin Bosworth tweets:

read #VanJones’ “The Green Collar Economy” last year & was mesmerized. It’s a brilliant plan of action & I #supportVan fully. #green #p2 #fb

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom:

“Van Jones and Mayor Newsom are good friends and the mayor stands by him,” Newsom spokesman Nathan Ballard said Friday

Sarah Robinson at Blog For Our Future writes:

But we know this for sure: If Beck succeeds in damaging Jones and Color of Change — a decision that’s largely in the hands President Obama — you can count on this being the start of a fast and furious conservative witch hunt aimed at picking off every other progressive leader. What they’ll learn is that this kind of minor smear is all it takes to turn liberals against each other — and we’ll effectively be in the position of letting the craziest people on the right wing decide for us who our leaders will be.

Joseph Romm of Climate Progress writes:

I am a big fan of green jobs czar clean energy jobs handyman Van Jones (see “Van Jones argues we can — and must — fight poverty and pollution at the same time” and “Must Read: Van Jones and the English Language“). The right wing hates the clean energy jobs message (see “Department of Energy eviscerates right-wing Spanish ‘green jobs’ study“) so it’s not surprising they are going after Van Jones.

The Real Van Jones

Wonk Room:

A Spanish paper that claimed support for green jobs “may destroy two jobs for every one created” has been debunked by an official publication of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The paper’s conclusions — led by Exxon-funded libertarian Gabriel Calzada — have been cited by GOP leaders, Fox News, right-wing columnists, conservative think tanks, and Big Oil front groups to attack President Obama’s green economic agenda. However, the DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) finds that the Spanish authors’ claim that renewable support kills jobs “is not supported by their work.“

NREL –

Excellent new ad from Green For All.

Via NRDC:

This June 2009 report finds that investments in clean energy will create more jobs than equivalent spending on fossil fuels and help raise the standard of living for lower-income Americans.

Green_Prosperity –

The event, which took place Tuesday in Denver, was well documented in two blog posts. First, Van Jones writes:

To rebuild and strengthen the middle class, Vice President Joe Biden wants Americans earning more money in enterprises that upgrade America’s buildings, increase their efficiency, save money, and at the same time, help to improve our environment.

· Read the Release: Vice President Biden Calls for Report on Green Opportunities for the Middle Class

· Read the Release: Middle Class Task Force Announces Agency Partnerships to Build a Strong Middle Class through a Green Economy

· Read the Middle Class Task Force’s Green Jobs Update Report (pdf)

· Read Appendix A for the MCTF Green Jobs Report, May 26, 2009 (pdf)

A smart plan will ultimately save Americans billions of dollars in energy costs, while creating jobs and reducing the strain on our nation’s power grid. Reducing the load on our coal-fired power plants would, in turn, cut air pollution – letting our kids and seniors breathe a little easier.

At the same time, retrofitting American homes will also enhance their value – since energy efficient homes are more valuable than drafty ones. In other words, an aggressive program to retrofit America will create more work, more wealth, and better health for middle class Americans.

That is why today Vice President Biden asked the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) to help the administration develop long-term, innovative proposals to begin weatherizing and retrofitting our nation’s building stock.

Then, Jared Bernstein, VP Biden’s Chief Economist, wrote:

Those who’ve been with us from the beginning will notice that this is our second taskforce meeting on this topic of green jobs. This is no accident: our emphasis on green energy occurs at the intersection of two of the Obama Administration’s most important policy initiatives: protecting the environment and creating good jobs.

On the first point—fighting back against global warming—this past week has been a good one. On Tuesday the President hosted an historic event where stakeholders who have been at odds for years on this stuff came together to support a much higher mileage standard for vehicles. (BTW, IMHO one of President Obama’s more important skills is the ability to take folks who traditionally line up on opposite sides and bring them together—you see it in health care too.)

The administration’s plan to promote clean energy use also made some headway in Congress last week.

Then there’s green jobs, which we define broadly (and loosely—there is no official definition) as jobs that help to improve the environment in some way. That includes blue collar workers building out the smart grid to efficiently move the wind power (green, renewable energy) across the land. It includes “weatherizers” who can diagnose and repair the energy inefficiencies in your house or business. And it includes the green manufacturers who made those wind turbines or the scientists and lab technicians who developed those renewable energy sources and weatherization materials.

It’s important to see the connection between these various initiatives: our clean energy agenda, mileage standards, and green jobs. By setting higher mileage standards and by promoting incentives to use clean energy (while reducing our dependence on foreign oil), we create new demand for the science, techniques, products, and tools to meet the standards. We help to grow the market for more efficient engines and new production techniques that reduce carbon emissions. And a growing market means more jobs for middle-class families.