Thank you … Sean … and thank you all for inviting me here tonight  

It's a real pleasure to share the stage with Mary Robinson … the former president of Ireland and a legendary fighter for conservation of our lands and sea and air  

We salute you Mary  

My roots are Polish and Italian … so I can't claim Irish ancestry … although I'd be proud to  

Mary … thank you for all that you do  

High-level diplomats like Mary Robinson and Al Gore have helped to bring together labor and environmentalists … we've certainly come a long way  

A decade ago we in the labor movement were convinced that the Kyoto accords just didn't make sense for workers in the struggling U.S. economy … seeing jobs being exported faster than Guinness in a can  

But the science … frankly … can't be denied  

We understand that we must act … together … we have much common ground … in fact a fragile planet of common ground.  

The labor movement is committed to ending our dependence on foreign oil and reversing the threat of climate change by transforming the way we source and use energy  

That means wind and solar and energy conservation through building rehab … and creating electrical smart grids  

And it means creating a new energy-efficient transportation fleet and expanding mass transit  

But it also means hard thinking about some less popular energy sources  

As you all may know … the new president of the American labor movement is an old coal miner … who's been fighting for years to preserve good jobs in the fossil fuels industry  

I still believe … as many of my union brothers and sisters do … that there is an important role for clean coal … well scrubbed … captured and stored … as we transition to carbon-free energy sources  

I think that no matter what we do in the United States … the only alternative to clean coal is not no coal … its dirty coal  

Fast-developing economies like India and China have vast reserves of coal … so we have a powerful incentive to make it work in a green economy … with tough new standards for carbon emissions  

We can lead the way with this new technology … and we should

Nuclear energy should remain on the table … its a viable large scale non-carbon option for electricity available now  

The French use nuclear for 80 percent of their electricity generation … and they and the Japanese are well along in developing safe nuclear technology for energy production  

And we must follow their lead … if we're going to meet our goals to clean up the planet  

Wind and solar power become greater parts of the energy mix each day  

Hydroelectric power … the original clean generation source … needs to be implemented on a broader scale  

Biomass and tidal power … still in the embryonic stages of practical use … need to be encouraged  

The AFL-CIO … and all the unions in North America … are strongly on board the global campaign to reduce carbon emissions and stabilize climate change  

Working together with environmental organizations … we hope to reverse practices that put our very survival at risk  

We're already on the road to recovery … since acceptance is the first step in the twelve-step program  

The Energy Department reports that U.S. carbon emissions declined by 9 percent over the past two years … partly recession … partly high gas prices  

But we cannot rely on economic collapse to save us from the threat of climate change  

We need to do the opposite … act to address the climate and energy crisis by creating good green jobs … in the process we will revive our economy  

If we take on climate change at scale … we will create jobs at scale … for every $100 billion invested in a green economy … we create 1 million new jobs  

We in the United States need to take responsibility for the fact that we are the largest per capita emitters of carbon and other greenhouse gases in the world  

We need to change … and move toward a new green economy based on good jobs  

That's why the AFL-CIO supported the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 as it came to a vote in the House in June … it needs to be improved … but doing nothing is not an option  

But even as we commit to change … we must also recognize that climate change is truly a global threat … it will not help anyone if we change by offshoring our emissions  

That's why goods produced in nations that do not abide by carbon emission restrictions … should be subject to border adjustment tariffs to offset the loss  

I don't see any other way to be serious about global carbon emissions reduction …  anything else will simply relocate the emissions  

This is one of our proposals to the G-20 summit this week … our Pittsburgh Declaration  … a call to make jobs central to economic recovery … to boost manufacturing … and regulate trade  

President Obama's stimulus package kept our nation from plummeting into another Great Depression …  

But the job losses haven't stopped … millions more people will be out of work … this year … and into next year  

So we need sustained public investment … particularly to outfit and train for a green jobs industry  

If the global economic powers of the G-20 decide to back off public investment programs … our unemployment will worsen … our standard of living will fall  

That's why … this week in Pittsburgh at the G-20 summit … unions are calling for a global tax on short-term financial transactions … to help pay for much-needed public investment  

That's why last week the AFL-CIO Convention passed resolutions calling for expanded efforts to create new high quality green jobs.  

We need more public investment to create jobs and opportunity … including training  

We see this aggressive long-term investment as part of a "just transition" that protects workers in the shift toward a green economy  

Under a just transition program … workers have the democratic right to a voice in their workplace …  the right to organize and bargain collectively  

And they have access to training on the latest technology … for the knowledge and skills they need to build a better future  

In sum, a just transition would provide all the resources workers and communities need to weather the adverse impact of climate legislation    

That is the hope for us as we look forward to ringing in a new progressive era … that the transition to renewable energy is a process that looks out for people as well as it looks out for the environment  

We look forward not only to working with the environmental activists … but also with business leaders who share our vision of a sustainable future … and those cooperative efforts are already underway  

I am cheered … as we await the UN Climate Change Summit tomorrow … and the G-20 summit next Thursday … that we are in the right place at the right time  

We have a chance to change the course of history … doing something that's unique to our species  

With careful thought … and education … and activism … we are reducing our carbon footprint  

It's a pleasure to be on this historic journey with all of you … thank you.