One of the decade’s most prominent proponents of green jobs and sustainability, speaker Jerome Ringo, the director of global strategy for Green Port, the former president of the Apollo Alliance, and the first African American to head a major conservation organization, has issued a statement on what the oil spill on the Gulf Coast means for industry, the environment, and green job creation. As a conservationist who also spent several decades working in Louisiana’s petrochemical industry, he offers a unique perspective on the environmental and financial impact of the spill.

The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has the potential to change how Americans view energy production for years to come. Though most agree that this is, and will continue to be a major environmental and economic disaster, it has created opportunity for the industrial, environmental, business, labor, and education communities to utilize their skills in developing efficient and safe methods of energy production. After working for more than 20 years in the petrochemical industry (refining, offshore drilling, and production), 25 years in the environmental movement, and five years as a green jobs CEO, I recognize a unique opportunity for America to finally diversify its energy portfolio. With the available resources of oil and gas, the research and development of alternative energies, and the current energy demands; business, industry, and activists across this country much refocus efforts toward a cleaner environment that will stimulate the economy as well.

Many industries have already made substantial investments in the research of new alternative sources of energy. The green movement has invested largely in promoting policy that can drive clean energy forward. Today’s disaster also presents the opportunity to move ahead, recognize mistakes of the past, and build coalitions for the future, to guarantee America’s sustainability for generations to come.

Looking for a firsthand perspective on the oil spill, what it means for the future, and what you can do to help? Contact Keppler Speakers bureau for more information on bringing environmental leader Jerome Ringo to your campus.