Hancock misses point on Sparrows Point
This is from Keith Losoya, executive director if the Chesapeake Sustainable Business Alliance, in response to my Wednesday column on Sparrows Point.
I have to take issue with your your "Point's future is up to Annapolis" piece yesterday where you basically championed the singular opposition argument to the Global Warming Solutions Act and Energy Efficiency bills. In this column you joined the circle of wagons around one industry and one plant in the state of Maryland that may be negatively impacted by this bill. It's unfortunate to see that you are embracing this myopic view and ignoring the enormous economic promise that this legislation will tender.*According to The International Center for Sustainable Development that was contracted by the Baltimore Development Corporation (BDC) with funding provided by DBED, MEA and the Abell Foundation, over the next 20 years, at the lowest level of effort (20% energy-efficiency improvement, 10% renewable-energy increase, and 10% ethanol production increase), 144,000 jobs will be created (67,000 in Baltimore), wages & salaries will go up by $5.7 billion ($2.4 billion in Baltimore); state & local tax revenues will increase by $973 million ($412 million in Baltimore); and gross state product (GSP) will increase by $16 billion ($7 billion in Baltimore).
While there are several analogies to draw from the first one that comes to mind is investing. Would you put all of your accumulated and potential earnings that are intended to sustain you and your family into one high risk venture today? I would hope not and would think that you would diversify your investments for your own fiscal security. What you are asking is for Maryland to risk it's future and diverse economic growth potential for one industry, one plant.
I represent hundreds of small businesses who have made the commitment to be more environmentally and socially responsible and welcome the opportunity to talk to you more about this issue on their behalf. I also offer the additional points below in the hope that they will provide some balance to your singular concern for Sparrows Point.
1/ The workers at Sparrows Point are understandably concerned
about their jobs, given the uncertainty around ownership of the plant.
We know that the steelworkers care about the environment and the
health of their families.
2/ The lack of certainty has minimized investment in the plant over
the past few years. This has made the Sparrows Point plant less competitive
under ArcelorMittal.3/ Other steel producers around the world have been increasing
efficiency and improving environmental performance. They are
making these investments to reduce costs (for power).
4/ The purchase of the Sparrows Point plant by a company with
deep pockets and a commitment to invest in improved efficiency and
productivity should provide confidence to the steelworkers and
elected officials that there is a strong future for steel in Baltimore.
This is important for the environment, as shipping the steel we need
from plants across the globe is not sustainable.
5/ The federal government and top universities continue to work with
steel manufacturers to invest in research on how to make the steel
manufacturing process more efficient (by using less energy) and
more environmentally friendly.
6/ Companies like Baltimore based Ceratech, maker of environmentally
friendly and low-carbon cement products, prove that the construction
material industry can do business in a new way. Maryland leaders need
to take action to bring these forward thinking businesses like CeraTech
BP Solar, and SunEdison to our state.
7/ By passing the Global Warming Solutions Act (and energy efficiency
legislation) in Maryland, we send a strong signal to industry that we
are serious not only about protecting the environment, but also that
we want to protect and create jobs in the state and help rebuild the
City of Baltimore as Maryland takes a leadership role in the rapidly
growing clean energy economy.
8/ States such as Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, California
and others are making investments in clean energy industry jobs.
Maryland must invest in these industries or other states will take
the jobs
My thoughts: I don't think Sparrows Point and other important business hurt by blanket carbon caps should have the effect of blocking all efforts to fight climate change. Focus climate-change efforts on the consumer and grandfather key businesses... I'm highly skeptical of studies showing that prospective growth in "green jobs" will replace jobs lost in dirty industries. No doubt there will be green jobs. No doubt the amount of jobs shown by these studies is exaggerated... Of course we should invest in these industries.
Comments
Six thousand jobs are in jeopardy for an unfounded cause. Global warming isn’t the reason why we bury 300 young Baltimoreans every year. You may think I’m tangenting, but get real Keith, the very clear and present danger that we face here in Maryland specifically Baltimore, the folks you think you’re representing I might add, is the unrelenting violence. Global warming----not so clear. And, certainly not present. But murder after murder is a very present reality. I know Gore says my disbelief is like thinking the world is flat; however, Gore’s also making millions off this prophecy of his too. No belief in global warming means less money for Gore. You talk about deep pockets buying up the Steelmill. I challenge you to disclose your income, sir. Because lets face it this “going green” is whole new industry generally for yuppies like you from Federal Hill to profit. I’m a conservative and I’m a capitalist, so frankly, I have no beef with you making your way in the free market. But don’t come off like you are crusading on a higher moral plain. In the end, one’s loss is the others gain. Happy to see you are fairing well in our free market. On second thought, the Maryland Dem. Majority spearheaded by O’Malley is pushing these regulations that will stimulate your cashflow. Now, I get why Martin was saluted so many times on your website. Hey, why not devote a page to him since he will indirectly be your biggest donor. Bottom line, our government is helping you to establish your industry. Make your money Keith, but don’t talk down to our community as if your money grab of global warming is nobel while my working class community is neglected of the opportunity to make fair wages.... Again, I won’t use his name for an arguments sake, but the young man buried today leaving behind a wife and family died from a senseless act of violence not climate change. Wake up Baltimore, and stand up to the violence killing our brothers and sisters almost on a daily basis, not some hyped global crisis that might affect us decades from now. Tuff guys stand up against violence; soft yuppies like Keith think they got courage by taking a stand against, so far, an invisible threat. We wear work boots here in Dundalk; enjoy your comfortable strolls down to Mothers in your cute little Birkenstocks. It must be nice to have work time to devote to a response. However, a social worker, like myself must go back to helping to rehabilitate the folks that make our society unsafe. ... If you and the rest of the privileged college educated elitist yuppies got clue, violent crime is the real threat to our communities. The only problem Keith has with this issue is that police work, social activism, counseling, corrections, etc wouldn’t keep him in cozy Federal Hill.
Posted by: Ballz Mahoney | March 28, 2008 1:48 AM