Van Jones as Green Jobs Czar? (or, as we like to call it, Secretary of Prosperity)

David Anderson: Green Options’ Prognosticator Emeritus?

When rumors began swirling around the green blogosphere, first at Greendig, that Van Jones would be named Green Czar (a story they later pulled back from a bit, awaiting an official announcement), then at Grist, and WSJ’s Environmental Capital, I was reminded of what our very own David Anderson, founder of Green Options Media, had to say back in October.

Invoking the spirit and language of FDR in the early days of the New Deal, Anderson suggested that Van Jones should be Obama’s ‘Secretary of Prosperity. Anderson writes:

“Ever since I’ve talked about the potential to draft someone like Jones into a bold new position, people have told me that a Secretary of Prosperity could never happen. My response?

Who cares? Just adding Van’s perspective to the conversation about the need to take bold leadership of the great problems of our time would be a great accomplishment.

Over the last couple years, I’ve watched Jones relentlessly turn years of experience pursuing social justice and shared prosperity into a credible case for the win-win-win green collar economy of the future. I’m a huge fan of solving problems that occur in patterns by addressing their underlying roots, and that’s what his ‘green collar’ approach does.”

Anderson took his little suggestion a step further when he issued an open challenge to Netizens to start a grassroots campaign to ‘Draft Van;’ starting a Facebook group for people to congregate and brainstorm.

>>See also: Van Jones’ Green Collar Manifesto

Apparently, Anderson is having a smooth transition into his new role as Green Options’ Prognosticator Emeritus, only emerging from the inner-workings of the GO Media machine to publish bold political predictions and calls for mobilization that will precipitate substantive improvements in the economy and the environment.

I’m cool with that.

Image: Center for American Progress