As we look toward the new year, our economy is in crisis and our environment is in distress. What we need from our next president is a plan of action that simultaneously saves our planet from pollution and puts our economy back on track. What we need is a "green" solution.

Our guest on the next Meet the Bloggers is activist and environmental leader Van Jones, author of the best-selling new book, The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems. Jones is the founder and president of Green For All, a national organization dedicated to building an inclusive, green economy, strong enough to lift millions of people out of poverty. Jones proposes the creation of green collar jobs that do not require extensive degrees, but will allow our working population to be employed and have a more meaningful purpose in the workplace.

Tune in as Van Jones joins host Cenk Uygur, Chris Rabb (Mother Jones), and Simran Sethi (Huffington Post).  This episode will be online with a live blog Friday, December 19, at 1pm ET/10am PT, and is available anytime after on MeetTheBloggers.org.  In the meantime, here's what you can do to learn more about creating green collar jobs and saving the environment:

• Can We Save the Planet and Rescue the Economy at the Same Time? -- Al Gore, Mother Jones
  
• Your Top 20 Econumdrums -- Solved! -- Ben Whitford, Mother Jones
• 9 Christmas Presents You Can Give Your Mother...Earth -- Tara Lohan, AlterNet
  
• Lifting the "Body Burden": How to Fight Toxic Exposure and Keep Chemicals Out of Your Home -- Simran Sethi, Huffington Post
  
• Attend the Good Jobs, Green Jobs National Conference in Washington, D.C. (Feb 4-6)