Green Spain Is Getting Rusty

In its ongoing efforts to be more like the Europeans and less like traditional Americans, the Obamacrats have frequently pointed to Spain as a nation that jumped into the green movement with both feet. Bold, daring, far-thinking. All of which might have had some validity, if it weren't for the miserable state of the world economy, and the American unemployment rate.

Conservatives have questioned the wisdom of "going green" on numerous occasions, but particularly during this very serious economic recession. In fact, we have done so on this blog. Sensible conservation measures and new technology are wonderful things. Switching to new ways of doing things are always somewhat painful. But there is a difference between making adjustments and committing labor suicide. We have warned of zealotry in the greening of America, and now Spanish officials have joined us.

The issue for the Spaniards is very similiar to the problem we face. Unemployment. Spain created all sorts of new "green jobs" in industry, and President Obama has frequently cited Spain as a model for what America should be doing. Now, the Spaniards are telling the delusional Obama that maybe it wasn't such a hot idea after all. In a booming economy, many workers put out of work by new technologies can rebound and move into some other area of work. Right now, the economy worldwide is a bust.

So what has Spain concluded? Spanish economist Gabriel Calzada has estimated that for every green job created by Spain's investment in renewable energy, 2.2 jobs are permanently lost without anything to replace the lost jobs, given the pitiable growth rate of European and American economies at the present time and for the foreseeable future. Many critics have estimated the ratio of gains to losses as high as two to four times as many jobs lost as gained. But what is important to note here is that Calzada was one of the earliest advocates of moving to a green economy, and is now very troubled by the result.

At the governmental level, the president of Spain's National Commission of Energy, socialist Maite Costa calls the current policy "unsustainable." Obama listened to the "go green" message. Will he now listen to the "red light" message? Highly doubtful. The leftist agenda in America is less idealistic than it is a pure power grab. With the EPA poised to determine which businesses will survive based on their carbon emissions, and the Obamists directing government contracts to Obama-friendly "green businesses," it is unlikely that the statists will give up on their power-grab any time soon.