The BlueGreen Alliance: A New Way of Thinking for Sustainability

Subject: Business

Use the college textbook International Business: The Challenge of Global Competition by Ball, Geringer, McNett and Minor 13th edition €“ ISBN #978-0-07-732460-5 (black cover with black text in the background).

Answer the questions posed in the Minicase at the end of Chapter 5 on page 155. Details of questions included below. The paper should be 4 FULL pages (top of page to bottom of page), and should involve some outside research besides the book. Sources should be referenced (at least 3 references). Be sure to utilize the material in Chapter 5 in the paper and use this book as an additional reference on the reference page. Include APA citations in the paper as well from the book as well as the other resources that are used. Mark the Minicase with the Chapter number (Chapter 5).

Below is the actual minicase from the book and questions that need to be answered:

In 2006, the United States Workers and the Sierra Club launched a collaboration to focus on environmental policy and expand the number of jobs and the quality of the jobs in the green economy. The collaboration surprised many because environmentalists and unions have been opposed on many issues in the past. For example, the environmentalists have opposed drilling for oil in the Alaska Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which the unions supported. The unions have often opposed environmentalism because their belief was that it cost jobs. Yet, the collaboration found common ground and has been wildly successful, taking on many additional partners, including the Communications Workers of America, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Service Employees International Union, the National Wildlife Federation, and the United Auto Workers. The BlueGreen alliance unites more than 14 million members.
There are four main issues the BlueGreen Alliance is presently working on. The first has to do with increased investments in clean energy sources. This is a strategy to create green jobs, reduce global warming, and move the United States toward energy independence. The second concern is climate change, and BlueGreen is urging passage of comprehensive climate change legislation. Such legislation would create jobs and reduce emissions. The right trade and the jobs are located in the United States The final concern is green chemistry. The Blue Green Alliance is pushing for greater control of toxic chemicals and the development of safe alternatives what it calls "green chemistry."

QUESTIONS:
1. Is the BlueGreen Alliance a partnership of convenience, or do you think it has the potential to move into a new way of approaching sustainability, with limits, interdependence, and equity?

2. The right trade policies, in a union view, may mean protectionist measures to build jobs. Do you think such a policy could fit into a sustainable approach?