Jon Rynn's blog

When it comes to talking about carbon-free technologies that can be used to generate electricity, the public seems familiar with many of the alternatives – wind, photovoltaics, concentrated solar power, and geothermal. But when it comes to transportation, we run into a cultural and political blind spot. As the old saying goes, “Be here now”, and in transportation, when it comes to electric vehicles, “being here now” means thinking about trains. Despite the existence of this dynamic, increasingly high-tech alternative, we hear a lot of wishful thinking about how to rid ourselves of oil.

The following first appeared on the web-site NewDeal20.org:

Americans have always been known to have a “can-do” spirit. During the 1930's the Roosevelt administration tried out many different ideas in an attempt to deal with the Great Depression, and to spread rural electrification and support agriculture. Nowadays, however , much of the political spectrum seems to have turned to a “can't do” spirit.

The following first appeared on the web site newdeal20.org:

Residents of New York City contribute less than 30% of the greenhouse gases of the average American, according to David Owen in his book, “Green Metropolis”. That means that if everybody lived in a New York City, U.S. Greenhouse gas emissions would plummet by 70%. This is because the way we place buildings in relation to each other has a profound influence on the way we use energy.

Now we know that the Federal Government can cough up big bucks if it wants to. The money spigots turned on, big time, when the financial companies needed it. Now it’s time for 90% of the population to get bailed out, with a bigger, second Federal stimulus package.

We can revive the economy for the rest of us by rebuilding manufacturing; we can rebuild manufacturing by reconstructing the physical infrastructure – the transit, roads, bridges, water mains, electrical systems, schools and other structures that make civilization possible
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A program for the economic reconstruction of the United States

The economy is a mess. Millions are losing their jobs, homes, and
health insurance. The manufacturing economy, without which a country
cannot be wealthy, is declining. The price of oil will keep rising,
global warming is getting worse, and our agricultural lands, forests,
and oceans are being destroyed. We need the government to spend
trillions of dollars, over a 10 to 20 year period, for each of the
following projects, each of which will create millions of well-paying,

Jonathan M. Feldman's article, "From Mass Transit to New Manufacturing," has been published in the April 2009 special "green jobs" issue of The American Prospect. The article explains how a new industrial-policy initiative for domestic production of mass transit products could help the United States overcome multiple economic challenges. It could provide high-wage jobs, generate tax revenue, expand exports, and reduce trade deficits. This mass-transit-production strat

In an article entitled "'Buy America' in the Stimulus (But good luck with that)", by Louis Uchitelle, Jonathan M. Feldman is quoted:

Take mass transit. The Obama stimulus would designate a chunk of money for the upgrading or expansion of mass transit systems, in part through the purchase of new subway and light rail cars. No American manufacturer makes these cars, although three foreign companies assemble them at plants in the United States, mainly from components manufactured abroad, according to Jonathan M. Feldman, an American economist at Stockholm University, whose research focuses on mass transit.

In association with the Institute for Policy Studies, Lexington Books just published the book "Mandate for Change: Policies and Leadership for 2009 and Beyond", including Jon Rynn's chapter, "Green Jobs in a Sustainable Economy".

Before the Second Wave of Crisis: An Alternative to the Triple Failure

in which he discusses "Obamanomics".

In which I discuss how the Europeans and Japanese have greener economies.

In which I discuss Al Gore's call for a carbon-free electrical system with Harvey Wasserman (halfway through).

See it here

"Water, Guns and Green Militarism? The Strange Political Economy of Death in the South" is now available at Counterpunch.com.

Jonathan M. Feldman's article, "From Warfare State to "Shadow State": MILITARISM, ECONOMIC DEPLETION, AND RECONSTRUCTION", is in the fall issue of the journal Social Text.

Jonathan M. Feldman's article, "Congress and the Iraq War Vote: A scandal that began in the 40s", has now been posted at Counterpunch.