The grass is always greener

Saving the planet and creating jobs may be incompatibleTHINK of whats happening in countries like Spain, Germany and Japan where theyre making real investments in renewable energy, Barack Obama instructed Americans earlier this year. Theyre surging ahead of us, poised to take the lead in these new industries. This isnt because theyre smarter than us, or work harder than us, or are more innovative than we are. Its because their governments have harnessed their peoples hard work and ingenuity with bold investmentsinvestments that are paying off in good, high-wage jobs.Mr Obama is right that many governments, not least his own, are spending heavily in a bid to create green jobs. Countries as diverse as Canada, China, France and Indonesia have vowed to cultivate greenery in an effort to fertilise their wilting economies. Religious leaders, trade unionists and the secretary-general of the United Nations, among others, have hailed green stimulus as a cure for the world economys ills. After all, it holds out the hope of a triple benefit: a return to economic growth, deliverance from global warming and an escape from dependence on imported fuels, all wrapped up in an appealingly high-tech package.