Washington, D.C. – The Tennessee Labor Department projects that the state could gain 45,000 new "green" jobs with an investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy production.

Today, Congress is expected to begin debate on the American Clean Energy and Security Act, which supporters say will help transition the country to clean alternative forms of energy and create such jobs. The Pew Environment Group has just released a survey showing bipartisan support for the bill, and the U.S. Global Warming Campaign director for the Group, Phyllis Cuttino, says the research mirrors other public opinion polling on the topic.

"The American voter believes very strongly that global warming is happening; it is happening now, and they want members of Congress and this government to take action to reduce global-warming emissions."

Cuttino says one of the arguments against climate change legislation is the so-called energy tax; the argument claims that such legislation would create added expenses for everyone. Even so, more than 60 percent in the polls strongly support such a plan to curb global warming, with more than half of Republicans in that category.

Jamie Qualk is vice president of a Nashville company that specializes in green building construction, the Sustainable Solutions Group of the engineering firm Smith Seckman Reid. He says it can be seen what happens when money is invested in green projects, citing the stimulus bill's provision of funds for making buildings energy-efficient in communities such as Brentwood and Nashville.

"Those type of programs create opportunities for consultants to work. They may allow vendors of equipment and other services to do some work on those buildings, and just push a little bit more money into the marketplace."

A summary of the polls is at www.pewglobalwarming.org

Dick Layman, Public News Service - TN