Can we grow the economy in an environmentally friendly way? That is an important question to ask when trillion-dollar stimulus and recovery plans are being debated in the halls of Congress. For most of U.S. history, the answer would have been “no.” American prosperity meant pollution from fossil fuels and water contamination from factories. A booming Pittsburgh or Detroit was synonymous with a blackened sky.

As these industries have declined, the answer to this question has become unclear. A whole generation of Americans is beginning to believe that the environment and the economy are not mutually exclusive. Growth and investment in green industries that improve environmental quality can provide jobs, lead to long-term growth and help with short-term recovery.

Green industry can provide a temporary boost to the economy. A 2008 report by the Political Economy Research Institute looked at the number of workers that would be affected by increased investment in green strategies ranging from building retrofit to solar power. They identified 14.3 million workers in 12 states under jobs titles such as electrician and bus driver. A report by the American Solar Energy Society forecasts that this could expand by 2030 to an annual 37 million jobs in renewable energy and energy efficiency businesses.

A similar report by the Center for American Progress predicts that investments in building retrofit and mass transit could be started within the year. They suggest projects such as public building retrofits and expanded bus service as good ways for rapid economic recovery. For example, there are several projects in our city, such as light rail and streetcars, that could be quickly expanded with more funding.

The decline of the manufacturing industry eroded a key component of American growth and prosperity for the past 60 years. Since then, the economy has been jumping from bubble to bubble trying to find a base for sustainable growth. Where Internet startups, real estate and financial instruments failed, green industries could succeed.

Green collar jobs cover a wide variety of professions and titles. These include traditional fields such as climatology and water quality but are expanding to accommodate the needs of growing businesses. A quick search on a green job Web site will find employers looking for climate economists and managing editors in addition to energy engineers.

These jobs include numerous blue-collar professions. A report for the City of Berkeley on green collar jobs identified 22 sectors that employ “manual labor jobs in businesses whose products and services directly improve environmental quality.” Public transit, recycling, bicycle repair and delivery are some of the occupations they determined to fall under this designation.

Green industries encompass such a large cross section of the job market that they can provide a suitable base for long-term economic growth similar to manufacturing after World War II. They can also supply blue-collar workers with good paying jobs that will help lift a new generation of Americans out of poverty.

Decoupling economic growth with environmental degradation is an important and necessary step for the United States. It removes the Faustian bargain that prosperity must come at the expense of personal health and environmental beauty. This is not only false, but is holding us back from embracing a 21st century economy.

Reach columnist Mike Noon at opinion@dailyuw.com.