Opinion: Romney distorts on green jobs

President Barack Obama smiles as he speaks during a campaign rally in Fairfax, Virginia on Friday, October 5. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney speaks during a campaign rally in Abingdon, Viriginia, on Friday. Barack Obama is assisted with putting on a raincoat onstage during a campaign rally at Cleveland State University on Friday. Mitt Romney poses for a photo before boarding his campaign plane in Bristol, Tennessee, on Friday. United States Secret Service agents guard vehicles in the motorcade of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney on Friday, October 5, in Weyers Cave, Virginia. Romney will campaign in Virginia's coal country and Florida. Mitt Romney boards his campaign plane on Friday. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney speaks in Fishersville, Virginia, as Secret Service members keep guard on Thursday, October 4. A day after the first presidential debate in Denver, Romney headed to Virginia to continue campaigning. Romney supporters bow their heads in prayer during Thursday's event at the Augusta Expoland in Fishersville, Viriginia. President Barack Obama addresses the crowd at the University of Wisconsin in Madison on Thursday. Romney greets police officers before boarding his campaign plane in Denver on Thursday. Obama speaks at a campaign rally in Denver on Thursday. He accused his Republican challenger of dishonesty over tax policy and other issues brought up in Wednesday night's presidential debate. Audience members cheer as Obama makes his way onto the stage at Sloan's Lake Park in Denver on Thursday. Reporters watch the final minutes of the debate between Romney and Obama in Denver on Wednesday, October 3. The first of four debates for the 2012 election -- three presidential and one vice-presidential -- was moderated by Jim Lehrer of PBS. A member of the U.S. Secret Service keeps watch from the top of a building as Obama takes part in a debate walk-through at the University of Denver on Wednesday. A seat is assigned to first lady Michelle Obama prior to Wednesday's debate. Obama stands at the podium as he speaks during the debate on Wednesday. Michelle and Barack Obama, left, join Mitt Romney and his family at the conclusion of the first presidential debate. University of Denver student Sam Garry sits at the moderator's desk before a presidential debate dress rehearsal at the University of Denver on Tuesday, October 2. Volunteers sit in for on-air television reporters on Tuesday in preparation for the first presidential debate in the Ritchie Center at the University of Denver. Romney greets a father and his daughter after having lunch Tuesday at a restaurant in Denver. Obama stares at the Hoover Dam in Nevada during a visit Tuesday. Romney boards his campaign plane in Bedford, Massachusetts, on Monday, October 1. The Republican candidate was heading to Denver for the first presidential debate on Wednesday. Obama hugs Chasstiry Vazquez after she indroduced him at a campaign event at Desert Pines High School in Las Vegas on Sunday, September 30. Obama supporters cheer during Sunday's event in Las Vegas. Romney leaves his campaign headquarters in Boston on Sunday. A boy reaches out to shake hands with Obama on Sunday in Las Vegas. The president was in Nevada ahead of Wednesday's presidential debate in Denver. Romney arrives at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Belmont to attend Sunday services. Obama talks on the phone with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel in the Oval Office on Friday, September 28. Romney speaks during a rally at Valley Forge Military Academy and College in Pennsylvania on Friday. Romney talks to journalists aboard his campaign plane about his phone call with Netanyahu on Friday. Cadets listen to Romney speak at a campaign rally Friday at the Valley Forge Military Academy and College in Wayne, Pennsylvania. Romney addresses Friday's rally at the Valley Forge Military Academy and College. Vice President Joe Biden hugs U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, as he arrives for a campaign event Friday in Boca Raton, Florida. Romney speaks at a Veterans for Romney campaign event in Springfield, Virginia, on Thursday, September 27. Obama supporters cheer at a campaign rally Thursday in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Veterans at the American Legion Post 176 pray before Romney speaks Thursday in Springfield. People listen to Obama speak at the Farm Bureau Live arena in Virginia Beach on Thursday. Obama delivers remarks Thursday in Virginia Beach. Supporters cheer as Romney speaks at SeaGate Convention Centre in Toledo, Ohio, on Wednesday, September 26. Romney speaks during a roundtable discussion on manufacturing at American Spring Wire in Bedford Heights, Ohio, on Wednesday. Supporters wait to see Obama on Wednesday at Toledo Express Airport in Bowling Green, Ohio. Air For One aborted an initial landing attempt in Ohio due to weather conditions. Obama addresses supporters at Bowling Green State University on Wednesday. Romney delivers remarks during a campaign rally Wednesday at Westerville South High School in Westerville, Ohio. Former President Bill Clinton introduces Obama during the Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting in New York on Tuesday, September 25. Supporters cheer during a Republican campaign rally Tuesday with Romney and his running mate, Paul Ryan, at Dayton International Airport in Vandalia, Ohio. Ryan speaks Tuesday in Vandalia as Sen. Rand Paul, from left, Sen. Rob Portman and Romney listen. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush hugs a waitress as they wait for Ryan's arrival during a campaign stop at a restaurant in Miami's Little Havana neighborhood on Saturday, September 22. Supporters cheer as they listen to Romney speak during a Juntos Con Romney Rally at the Darwin Fuchs Pavilion on Wednesday, September 19, in Miami. Romney shakes hands with supporters during the Juntos Con Romney Rally in Miami on Wednesday. Obama and David Letterman speak during a break in the taping of the "Late Show with David Letterman" on Tuesday, September 18, at the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York. A crew member opens the door to Air Force One after the jet arrived at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York on Tuesday. From left to right: Romney, his wife Ann, and son Tagg watch one of Tagg's sons play soccer in Belmont, Massachusetts, on Saturday, September 15. Ryan arrives onstage to address the Family Research Council Action Values Voter Summit on Friday, September 14. Supporters wait for Romney to speak at a campaign rally at Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio, on Friday, September 14. Obama arrives at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland on Thursday, September 13. Obama returned to Washington after a two-day campaign trip with events in Nevada and Colorado. Supporters cheer as Romney speaks at a campaign rally in Fairfax, Virginia, on Thursday. An Obama supporter attends a rally in Las Vegas on Wednesday, September 12. Obama focused on economic policies during his two days of campaigning in Nevada and Colorado. Former President Bill Clinton speaks in support of Obama during a campaign stop in Miami on Tuesday, September 11. Obama is lifted up by Scott Van Duzer, owner of Big Apple Pizza and Pasta Italian Restaurant, during a visit to the restaurant in Fort Pierce, Florida, on Sunday, September 9. Obama was on a two-day bus tour across the state. President Obama greets supporters during a campaign stop at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday. Mitt Romney walks through the garage area during a rain delay before the start of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway on Saturday, September 8, in Richmond, Virginia. Ann Romney, wife of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, waves to the crowd before speaking at a rally in Leesburg, Virginia, on Friday, September 7. Supporters try to stay dry in between rain showers while waiting for President Obama to speak at the University of Iowa on Friday. It was Obama's first day of campaigning after accepting the presidential nomination at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. A girl listens to President Obama speak at the University of Iowa on Friday. Vice President Joe Biden, first lady Michelle Obama, President Obama and Biden's wife, Jill, wave after Friday's campaign event at the University of Iowa. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 Van Jones: Mitt Romney was wrong to imply adminsitration spent $90 billion on solar, wind He says $21 billion spent on solar/wind, the rest on other green energy initiatives Jones says Romney was wrong to say investments were failures; success rate was very high He says it's a good thing Obama is against drilling on some public lands Editor's note: Van Jones is president and founder of RebuildTheDream.com, an online platform for political innovation focused on policy, economics and media. He was President Obama's green jobs advisor in 2009. (CNN) -- Wednesday night in Denver, Mitt Romney tried to imply that President Barack Obama had given $90 billion in tax breaks to solar and wind companies. After first noting (more accurately) that $90 billion went to the "green energy world," Romney followed up with "don't forget... you put $90 billion -- like 50 years worth of breaks -- into solar and wind." Personally, I wish the president had. But it just isn't true. The actual number was more like $21 billion. I know, because I helped oversee the administration's efforts in this area. The larger number refers to all of the investments in the 2009 stimulus package that the administration designated "green" in any way. The number included $6 billion for advanced batteries to make electric cars possible, $29 billion for energy efficiency and home retrofits, $3 billion for job training, and even $18 billion for transit and high speed rail. To pretend that all of that money went to solar and wind companies is ludicrous. Worse, Romney alleged that the administration picked only "losers." False. First of all, many of these initiatives began under President George W. Bush, including some of the loan guarantee programs Romney likes to attack. With the exception of Solyndra, the track record for renewable energy investments is strong. In fact, the failure rate is lower than Congress anticipated when they created these programs -- and, while we're on the topic, higher than Romney's 80% success rate at Bain Capital. CNN Fact Check: Are half of green energy firms funded by stimulus out of business? The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that there are 3.1 million green jobs in the United States right now. This is a big success story for Obama. Today, there are 75,000 Americans employed in the wind energy business alone, compared with 81,000 coal miners. Today, the top three clean-tech states each employ more people in green jobs than the coal industry does nationwide. Romney is willing to jeopardize those jobs by arguing for killing the wind energy tax credit -- while refusing to end subsidies and supports for the fossil fuel industry. Opinion: Millenials to candidates: Talk to us Grading Obama's energy policy Solar panels cause trouble at airport Romney digs at Obama's 'war on coal' The Best Advice: Van Jones (By the way: Coal employment is still high. Regulations that place more stringent public health standards on coal mining have actually created more jobs in coal mining industry, thanks to EPA. Even if the number of miners goes down at some point, I would blame dynamite, not government regulations. More and more, "mountaintop removal" is the standard practice for coal companies, and simply blowing up a mountain to scrape the coal out requires fewer workers. ) Romney is right that Obama has not been willing to open up some public lands for oil drilling and coal mining. That is a good thing. If it were left up to people like Romney, there might be oil rigs in places like the Grand Canyon. That approach not only desecrates our nation's natural beauty, it is an unnecessary and excessive risk. The United States is on its way to being a net oil exporter, without jeopardizing the beauty and integrity of our public lands. Both conservatives and liberals should be happy with Obama's energy policies. Oil, coal and natural gas production is up, which should please the right. But energy efficiency and conservation is also up, which should please the left. Romney -- like his running mate, Paul Ryan -- sounds great when he is spinning his yarns about America under Obama. But he knows precious little about the renewable energy industry and is relying on Tea Party talking points to score cheap points, at the expense of America's clean energy entrepreneurs. There is an upside: This fall, both Ryan and Romney have already created a full employment program -- for fact checkers. Follow @CNNOpinion on Twitter Join us at Facebook/CNNOpinion The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Van Jones.

Tsunami boat found by Hawaii fishermen

U.S. Coast Guard officials in Hawaii say fishermen have found a 16-foot Japanese skiff swept out to sea by last year's tsunami and brought it to Honolulu. The Coast Guard announced Friday the crew of the Tuna longliner Zephyr found the small boat intact and floating about 700 miles northeast of Oahu. Peter Grillo is the captain of the Zephyr.  He says the crew found the boat on Sept. 28 at around 1 p.m. He says he scraped off the barnacles and saw that it was a Japanese boat.  Grillo pulled into Pier 38 at Honolulu Harbor at around 3 a.m. Friday. The Coast Guard says the Japanese consulate confirmed the skiff was from the tsunami after Japanese Foreign Ministry contacted the owner. The owner doesn't want it back. Hawaii officials checked the boat for invasive species and radiation as a precaution. The boat is the second confirmed piece of tsunami debris to arrive in Hawaii.  Last month, a large blue plastic bin used to transport seafood was found floating in waters off eastern Oahu. The bin was from Fukushima.