Obama promotes clean energy

President Barack Obama is promoting his administration's investments in clean energy technologies like wind and solar, arguing they produce jobs and are essential for the country's environment and economic security, writes the North-West Herald

In his weekly radio and Internet address, a month out from crucial midterm elections, the president also accused Republicans of wanting to scrap incentives for such projects.

"That's what's at stake in this debate," the president said. "We can go back to the failed energy policies that profited the oil companies but weakened our country. We can go back to the days when promising industries got set up overseas. Or we can go after new jobs in growing industries. And we can spur innovation and help make our economy more competitive."

A target has been set for 2 080 megawatts or 11% of all the electricity generated in Malaysia by 2020 to be sourced from environment-friendly renewable energy, says Minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui, reports The Star.

This was in line with a framework of the 10th Malaysia Plan announced by prime-minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak which gave emphasis to the use of such energy, he adds.

“Although the application of green technology is still new in our country, we should not lag in taking advantage of opportunities to introduce green technology products,” he says.

The need for qualified technicians and scientists and people with environmental training is growing as European businesses work to become more sustainable; and women are increasingly being sought to fill the gap, reveals IBTimes UK.

A major European Union (EU) conference in Brussels about green jobs revealed how businesses are struggling to find qualified employees for science and technology positions and that there is a need to recruit more women into such positions.

"This is what the youth need to know: if you want to go into green jobs, you have to go into science and technology first," Damien Dallemagne, founder of management consultants Innergic, told the Promoting Green Jobs Ministerial Conference, organised by the Belgian Presidency of the EU in cooperation with the European Commission.