Green For All founder and AASHE 2008 Conference keynote speaker Van Jones' first book, The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems will be released tomorrow, October 7.   Green For All organizers are encouraging folks to order the book soon in an effort to make it the first environmental best-seller from an African-American author (!), so please order your copy today!

I heard Van Jones speak at a church in Portland a couple years ago and was inspired by his positive vision for simultaneously addressing economic, social, and environmental challenges.  After hearing him speak once, I'm excited to read the book and hear him speak again this November in Raleigh.  If you haven't registered for AASHE 2008 yet, you still can register here. Van Jones is a perfect fit for AASHE's conference, given the exciting green jobs initiatives, programs, and successes of our members.  Check out the following articles from the AASHE Bulletin for a sampling of what some AASHE members are doing to help build green jobs.

UC Berkeley to Help Create East Bay 'Green Corridor'UC Berkeley has formed the East Bay Green Corridor Partnership with the cities of Berkeley, Oakland, Richmond and Emeryville and Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. The partnership aims to establish San Francisco Bay's east shore as one of the world's leading centers of environmental innovation, alternative-energy research, and green business and industry. The partners will work together to secure federal funds for green-collar jobs and workforce development training for marginalized young people. They will also seek to create a "regional green-job training program" involving educational institutions at all levels, from local high schools to UC Berkeley.Sullivan County CC to Offer Green Building Associate's DegreeSullivan County Community College (NY) has announced plans to offer a new Associate's degree in green building maintenance and management. The new associate of applied sciences degree will be a four-semester, on-campus program designed to prepare green collar workers for careers in managing and maintaining high-performance commercial buildings. Associated Press Covers Increasing Need for Wind Turbine TechniciansThe Associated Press has published an article on the rapidly increasing need for wind energy technicians and the corresponding launch of several renewable energy technician programs at community colleges across the U.S. The article notes that a new program at Iowa Lakes Community College has experience a class size increase from 15 to approximately 90 students from last year to this year. Two Schools Partner to Prepare American Indians for Green Jobs The University of North Texas has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Haskell Indian Nations University and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to work together to increase the number of American Indian students pursuing professional careers in environmental fields, including policy, economics and science. The agreement establishes a direct track for graduates of Haskell to continue graduate studies in environmental sciences at UNT, where they will have the opportunity to earn Master's and doctoral degrees. The EPA will provide guidance on student employment and volunteer programs, collaboration on research opportunities, lectures and seminars on environmental issues, and outreach to local, tribal, national and international communities. In addition to preparing American Indians for careers in environment sciences, the memorandum seeks to familiarize the communities about American Indian concerns, improve the environmental conditions, support cultural preservation and promote economic development.