Page 46 - Shahrvand BC No.1227
P. 46
English Section
Iranian diaspora, but she says there is Five reasons the Keystone XL pipeline 46
an increased financial hardship due to
the collapse of the Iranian economy is bad for jobs, as well as the environment 46
under economic sanctions.
“Where people may have assumed BY BRENDAN SMITH
they were going to be pulling money Rabble.ca
out to help with their transition time
here as they’re newcomers and The American labour movement is Despite generating $546 billion in profits Research by the Solar Foundation 1391 دنفسا4 جمعه- 1227 شماره/ سال متسیب
establishing residence here, suddenly once again facing a most controversial between 2005 and 2010, ExxonMobil, shows a 13 percent growth in high-
their money they were counting on is issue -- the construction of the Chevron, Shell, and BP reduced their skilled solar jobs spanning installations, In touch with Iranian diversity
not available,” said Shelter, adding Keystone XL pipeline. While the KXL U.S. workforce by 11,200 employees sales, marketing, manufacturing and
doctors and engineers are forced to debate has largely centered around over that period. In 2010 alone, the top software development -- bringing total Vol. 20 / No. 1227 - Friday, Feb. 22, 2013
get survival jobs as cab drivers or the environmental risks, from labour's five oil companies slashed their global direct jobs to 119,000 in the sector. And
cashiers instead of improving their perspective opening up the Canadian workforce by 4,400 employees -- the according to the Political Economy
English. tar sands is often seen as an economic, same year executives paid themselves Research Institute at the University of
But Peyman Vahabzadeh, an not an environmental, issue. nearly $220 million. But at least those Massachusetts–Amherst, investment in
associate professor of sociology And it's no wonder: Construction working in the industry as a whole get a green infrastructure program would
at the University of Victoria, says unemployment is double the national paid high wages, right? Turns out that create nearly four times as many jobs
issues with the Iranian currency are average and, from a worker's 40 percent of U.S oil-industry jobs as an equal investment in oil and gas.
overblown unless you are a student or perspective, Keystone jobs will be consist of minimum-wage work at A study by Synapse Energy Economics
export Canadian goods to Iran. good-paying union jobs in an economy gas stations. Instead of bankrolling an developed a Transition Scenario for
The Iranian-born Vahabzadeh, that increasingly offers up only industry that is laying off workers and the electric power industry based on
who moved to Canada in the minimum-wage service work. threatening our economic future, isn’t reducing energy consumption, phasing
1980s, says there is nothing new As AFL-CIO President Richard it time to take the billions in subsidies out high-emission power plants, and
about homelessness and poverty Trumka explained last year, "mass going to oil companies and invest building new, lower-emission energy
in the Iranian community in North unemployment makes everything instead in a sector that both creates jobs facilities. The study estimated the
Vancouver. harder and feeds fear ... opponents of and protects the planet? number of "job years" -- one new
“You have to understand that within the pipeline [need to] recognize that 3. Unemployment will rise worker employed for one year -- that
the Iranian community, all the social construction jobs are real jobs, good According to Mark Zandi, the Chief would be created by the Transition
construction of pride and coming jobs." KXL advocates have worked hard Economist of Moody's Analytics: Scenario over a decade:
from an ancient civilization, the to capitalize on this fear by arguing that "Superstorm Sandy wreaked havoc • 444,000 job-years for
Iranians have a tendency not to speak labour must choose between creating on the job market in November, construction workers, equivalent to
about these things in general,” he told jobs and protecting the planet. slicing an estimated 86,000 jobs from 44,400 construction workers working
Megaphone. While labour leaders weigh the pros payrolls." In the wake of Hurricane full time for the entire decade.
“But yes, there have been issues and cons of building KXL, they should Irene, the number of workers filing • 90,000 job-years for
from this kind of phenomenon, and keep in mind that the pipeline is as much unemployment claims in Vermont went operations and maintenance workers,
it usually comes from addiction [to a threat to our economy as it is to our from 731 before Irene to 1,331 two equivalent to about 9,000 full time
drugs].” planet. After a year of extreme weather weeks afterwards. Hurricane Katrina workers employed over the decade.
Vahabzadeh says many people in the -- at an extreme cost to the economy wiped out 129,000 jobs in the New • 3.1 million indirect jobs
Iranian community don’t know about -- this age old jobs vs. environment Orleans region -- nearly 20 per cent. for people designing, manufacturing,
the addiction and housing services debate is emerging as a false choice. For the U.S. economy as a whole, 2011 and delivering materials and jobs in
available in Canada, especially if Hurricanes, floods, and droughts are cost U.S. taxpayers $52 billion. local economies around the country
information isn’t available in their already having a devastating effect 4. Poor and working people will be induced by spending by workers hired
language. on American jobs, and that is nothing disproportionately affected in the Transition Scenario.
Harman says the NSCSS needs compared to what will happen if we KXL and projects like it result in Organized labour is right to demand
multicultural outreach funding to throw open the spigot to the tar sands disproportionately negative impact on that public policy pay attention to
let the services that often have first from Canada, considered the dirtiest oil already struggling working families. our desperate need for jobs. But the
contact with abused women, such as in the world. According to a recent report by the Keystone XL pipeline will only make
the RCMP or the Ministry of Child Here are five reasons why building Center for American Progress called our jobs crisis worse by making our
and Family Development, know Sage the Keystone pipeline is bad for the "Heavy Weather: How Climate climate crisis worse. Plus, there are
House has Persian-speaking workers economy -- and workers. Destruction Harms Middle- and lots of pipelines that need fixing.
who can help Iranian women and 1. Building the Keystone pipeline Lower-Income Americans," lower- Construction workers can be put to
children. and opening up the Tar Sands will and middle income households are work rebuilding our crumbling natural
Nadir knew what services were negatively impact national and local disproportionately affected by the most gas transmission pipeline system --
available to him thanks in part to economies expensive extreme weather events. this will create good union jobs and
the North Shore Housing Centre. He Burning the recoverable tar sands oil Sixteen states were afflicted by five or cut carbon emissions. And these same
has been accepted to move into one will increase the earth’s temperature more extreme weather events in 2011- workers can rebuild our crumbling
of the Centre’s transitional housing by a minimum of two degree 2012. Households in disaster-declared water infrastructure.
units above the shelter, and hopes to Celsius, which NYU Law School's counties in these states earn $48,137, If labour is going to fight for jobs, let's
go upstairs soon. He says he’s also Environmental Law Center estimates or seven percent below the U.S. median fight for jobs that build the future we
working on getting permission to could permanently cut the US GDP by income. want for ourselves and our children, not
study to be a welder and gaining his 2.5 per cent. At the same time state and 5. Building the sustainable economy, ones that will destroy that future.
permanent residency status. local economies are already buckling not the Keystone pipeline, will create
under the real-time economic effects of far more jobs Brendan Smith is an oysterman and
The transitional housing, Nadir says, our nation's dependence on fossil fuels. Our nation is in desperate need of jobs. green labor activist. He is co-founder
has “given me the opportunity to not In the past two years, the vast majority Approving the Keystone XL pipeline of the Labor Network for Sustainability
worry about having a roof over my of U.S. counties -- 67 per cent -- were locks our nation into a trajectory of and Global Labor Strategies, and a
head.” affected by at least one of the eleven $1 guaranteed job loss and threatens the consulting partner with the Progressive
billion dollar extreme weather events. stability of the U.S. economy. Why Technology Project. He has worked
Megaphone is a magazine sold on the Superstorm Sandy alone caused an keep the "job-killing" course, when previously for Congressman Bernie
streets of Vancouver by homeless and estimated $80 billion in damage. The the alternative-energy path is already Sanders (I-VT) -- both as campaign
low-income vendors. Published every drought that affected 80 per cent of out-performing other sectors of the director and staff on the U.S. House
two weeks by the not-for-profit Street U.S. farmland last summer destroyed economy. For example, the solar Banking Committee -- as well as a
Corner Media Foundation, vendors a quarter of the US corn crop and industry continues to be an engine of broad range of trade unions, grassroots
buy the paper for 75 cents and sell the did at least $20 billion damage to the job growth -- creating jobs six times groups and progressive politicians. He
magazine for a suggested donation economy. faster than the overall job market. is a graduate of Cornell law school.
of $2. All money from the transaction 2. The same fossil fuel interests
goes into the pocket of the vendor pushing the Keystone pipeline have
been cutting, not creating, jobs
Iranian diaspora, but she says there is Five reasons the Keystone XL pipeline 46
an increased financial hardship due to
the collapse of the Iranian economy is bad for jobs, as well as the environment 46
under economic sanctions.
“Where people may have assumed BY BRENDAN SMITH
they were going to be pulling money Rabble.ca
out to help with their transition time
here as they’re newcomers and The American labour movement is Despite generating $546 billion in profits Research by the Solar Foundation 1391 دنفسا4 جمعه- 1227 شماره/ سال متسیب
establishing residence here, suddenly once again facing a most controversial between 2005 and 2010, ExxonMobil, shows a 13 percent growth in high-
their money they were counting on is issue -- the construction of the Chevron, Shell, and BP reduced their skilled solar jobs spanning installations, In touch with Iranian diversity
not available,” said Shelter, adding Keystone XL pipeline. While the KXL U.S. workforce by 11,200 employees sales, marketing, manufacturing and
doctors and engineers are forced to debate has largely centered around over that period. In 2010 alone, the top software development -- bringing total Vol. 20 / No. 1227 - Friday, Feb. 22, 2013
get survival jobs as cab drivers or the environmental risks, from labour's five oil companies slashed their global direct jobs to 119,000 in the sector. And
cashiers instead of improving their perspective opening up the Canadian workforce by 4,400 employees -- the according to the Political Economy
English. tar sands is often seen as an economic, same year executives paid themselves Research Institute at the University of
But Peyman Vahabzadeh, an not an environmental, issue. nearly $220 million. But at least those Massachusetts–Amherst, investment in
associate professor of sociology And it's no wonder: Construction working in the industry as a whole get a green infrastructure program would
at the University of Victoria, says unemployment is double the national paid high wages, right? Turns out that create nearly four times as many jobs
issues with the Iranian currency are average and, from a worker's 40 percent of U.S oil-industry jobs as an equal investment in oil and gas.
overblown unless you are a student or perspective, Keystone jobs will be consist of minimum-wage work at A study by Synapse Energy Economics
export Canadian goods to Iran. good-paying union jobs in an economy gas stations. Instead of bankrolling an developed a Transition Scenario for
The Iranian-born Vahabzadeh, that increasingly offers up only industry that is laying off workers and the electric power industry based on
who moved to Canada in the minimum-wage service work. threatening our economic future, isn’t reducing energy consumption, phasing
1980s, says there is nothing new As AFL-CIO President Richard it time to take the billions in subsidies out high-emission power plants, and
about homelessness and poverty Trumka explained last year, "mass going to oil companies and invest building new, lower-emission energy
in the Iranian community in North unemployment makes everything instead in a sector that both creates jobs facilities. The study estimated the
Vancouver. harder and feeds fear ... opponents of and protects the planet? number of "job years" -- one new
“You have to understand that within the pipeline [need to] recognize that 3. Unemployment will rise worker employed for one year -- that
the Iranian community, all the social construction jobs are real jobs, good According to Mark Zandi, the Chief would be created by the Transition
construction of pride and coming jobs." KXL advocates have worked hard Economist of Moody's Analytics: Scenario over a decade:
from an ancient civilization, the to capitalize on this fear by arguing that "Superstorm Sandy wreaked havoc • 444,000 job-years for
Iranians have a tendency not to speak labour must choose between creating on the job market in November, construction workers, equivalent to
about these things in general,” he told jobs and protecting the planet. slicing an estimated 86,000 jobs from 44,400 construction workers working
Megaphone. While labour leaders weigh the pros payrolls." In the wake of Hurricane full time for the entire decade.
“But yes, there have been issues and cons of building KXL, they should Irene, the number of workers filing • 90,000 job-years for
from this kind of phenomenon, and keep in mind that the pipeline is as much unemployment claims in Vermont went operations and maintenance workers,
it usually comes from addiction [to a threat to our economy as it is to our from 731 before Irene to 1,331 two equivalent to about 9,000 full time
drugs].” planet. After a year of extreme weather weeks afterwards. Hurricane Katrina workers employed over the decade.
Vahabzadeh says many people in the -- at an extreme cost to the economy wiped out 129,000 jobs in the New • 3.1 million indirect jobs
Iranian community don’t know about -- this age old jobs vs. environment Orleans region -- nearly 20 per cent. for people designing, manufacturing,
the addiction and housing services debate is emerging as a false choice. For the U.S. economy as a whole, 2011 and delivering materials and jobs in
available in Canada, especially if Hurricanes, floods, and droughts are cost U.S. taxpayers $52 billion. local economies around the country
information isn’t available in their already having a devastating effect 4. Poor and working people will be induced by spending by workers hired
language. on American jobs, and that is nothing disproportionately affected in the Transition Scenario.
Harman says the NSCSS needs compared to what will happen if we KXL and projects like it result in Organized labour is right to demand
multicultural outreach funding to throw open the spigot to the tar sands disproportionately negative impact on that public policy pay attention to
let the services that often have first from Canada, considered the dirtiest oil already struggling working families. our desperate need for jobs. But the
contact with abused women, such as in the world. According to a recent report by the Keystone XL pipeline will only make
the RCMP or the Ministry of Child Here are five reasons why building Center for American Progress called our jobs crisis worse by making our
and Family Development, know Sage the Keystone pipeline is bad for the "Heavy Weather: How Climate climate crisis worse. Plus, there are
House has Persian-speaking workers economy -- and workers. Destruction Harms Middle- and lots of pipelines that need fixing.
who can help Iranian women and 1. Building the Keystone pipeline Lower-Income Americans," lower- Construction workers can be put to
children. and opening up the Tar Sands will and middle income households are work rebuilding our crumbling natural
Nadir knew what services were negatively impact national and local disproportionately affected by the most gas transmission pipeline system --
available to him thanks in part to economies expensive extreme weather events. this will create good union jobs and
the North Shore Housing Centre. He Burning the recoverable tar sands oil Sixteen states were afflicted by five or cut carbon emissions. And these same
has been accepted to move into one will increase the earth’s temperature more extreme weather events in 2011- workers can rebuild our crumbling
of the Centre’s transitional housing by a minimum of two degree 2012. Households in disaster-declared water infrastructure.
units above the shelter, and hopes to Celsius, which NYU Law School's counties in these states earn $48,137, If labour is going to fight for jobs, let's
go upstairs soon. He says he’s also Environmental Law Center estimates or seven percent below the U.S. median fight for jobs that build the future we
working on getting permission to could permanently cut the US GDP by income. want for ourselves and our children, not
study to be a welder and gaining his 2.5 per cent. At the same time state and 5. Building the sustainable economy, ones that will destroy that future.
permanent residency status. local economies are already buckling not the Keystone pipeline, will create
under the real-time economic effects of far more jobs Brendan Smith is an oysterman and
The transitional housing, Nadir says, our nation's dependence on fossil fuels. Our nation is in desperate need of jobs. green labor activist. He is co-founder
has “given me the opportunity to not In the past two years, the vast majority Approving the Keystone XL pipeline of the Labor Network for Sustainability
worry about having a roof over my of U.S. counties -- 67 per cent -- were locks our nation into a trajectory of and Global Labor Strategies, and a
head.” affected by at least one of the eleven $1 guaranteed job loss and threatens the consulting partner with the Progressive
billion dollar extreme weather events. stability of the U.S. economy. Why Technology Project. He has worked
Megaphone is a magazine sold on the Superstorm Sandy alone caused an keep the "job-killing" course, when previously for Congressman Bernie
streets of Vancouver by homeless and estimated $80 billion in damage. The the alternative-energy path is already Sanders (I-VT) -- both as campaign
low-income vendors. Published every drought that affected 80 per cent of out-performing other sectors of the director and staff on the U.S. House
two weeks by the not-for-profit Street U.S. farmland last summer destroyed economy. For example, the solar Banking Committee -- as well as a
Corner Media Foundation, vendors a quarter of the US corn crop and industry continues to be an engine of broad range of trade unions, grassroots
buy the paper for 75 cents and sell the did at least $20 billion damage to the job growth -- creating jobs six times groups and progressive politicians. He
magazine for a suggested donation economy. faster than the overall job market. is a graduate of Cornell law school.
of $2. All money from the transaction 2. The same fossil fuel interests
goes into the pocket of the vendor pushing the Keystone pipeline have
been cutting, not creating, jobs
