Green jobs provide a bold new solution to two pressing crises: this year's economic crisis and this century's climate crisis.

Creating five million new green jobs through strategic investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency will jumpstart an inclusive green economy powerful enough to lift millions of people out of poverty and get us on the right track to avoid the most dangerous effects of global warming.

This may sound idealistic or unrealistic, but already people are organizing to make this idea a reality. Right here in Madison, on Sept. 27, more than 100 residents and 15 local organizations rallied to send a clear message to the presidential candidates: People are ready for the green economy.

If they want to appeal to their constituents in battleground states like Wisconsin, they'll need to start talking about this kind of visionary solution.

1sky, the organizer of the event, one of more than 500 that occurred across the country in support of green jobs, is working to pressure the presidential candidates to support three simple steps to solve the climate crisis:

Implement a national program to reduce global warming pollution to the levels the scientific community tells us is necessary -- at least 80 percent below current pollution levels by 2050 with short-term targets of 25-40 percent reductions by 2020 to get us on the right track as soon as possible.

Stop the construction of new coal-fired power plants. Coal is the leading source of global warming pollution and we can't afford to make the problem worse by building more coal plants.

Create 5 million new green jobs through strategic investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency. We need to encourage the growth of renewable energy businesses and properly train our existing labor force to design, build and maintain those new sources of home-grown energy.

The steps are simple, but it will take bold leadership from the next president to implement the solutions that science and equity demand.

Initiating policies to encourage the growth of renewable energy businesses and properly train our existing labor force to design, build and maintain those new sources of home grown energy is the first step towards revitalizing our economy and getting us on the right track to avoid the most dangerous consequences of global warming.

Wisconsin could benefit enormously from the green economy. More than 37,000 jobs could be created in two years if we invested only $1.8 billion (just a fraction of the $700 billion proposed to bailout Wall Street) in a green economic recovery program according to a recent Center for American Progress report.

This alone could lower our current unemployment rate of 4.9 percent to 3.7 percent.

The best part about green jobs in Wisconsin that promote energy efficiency is that they're local. Retrofitting a building to make it more energy efficient and installing solar panels on rooftops are good jobs that can't be outsourced.

The money stays here, cleans up our communities, and offers career pathways out of poverty. If you have a green job in this state, you're working for a good paycheck and an even better purpose.

But we need a multi-billion dollar investment from Washington and Wall Street in order to create these jobs. 1sky is calling on our elected officials to support the creation of a national "Clean Energy Corps," that will combine service, training, volunteer, and job creation opportunities that combat global warming, grow local and regional economies, and demonstrate the equity and employment promise of the clean energy economy.

Such a program could help us combat two of the greatest challenges of our time -- economic uncertainty and climate change.

Stewart works for Madison's 1sky Campaign, a coalition of groups working to pressure Congress to support efforts to combat global warming.