Throughout the most recent economic crisis, there have been constant references made to "green jobs" as being the next big source of employment opportunities for unemployed workers. According to the
United Nations Environment Program, green jobs are defined as "work in agricultural, manufacturing, research and development (R&D), administrative, and service activities that contribute(s) substantially to preserving or restoring environmental quality. Specifically, but not exclusively, this includes jobs that help to protect ecosystems and biodiversity; reduce energy, materials, and water consumption through high efficiency strategies; de-carbonize the economy; and minimize or altogether avoid generation of all forms of waste and pollution." Many of the new jobs expected to be created will be in the areas of renewable energy (developing and working with alternatives to traditional energy sources such as oil and coal) and energy efficiency (making improvements to the amount of energy used by various items, including homes and automobiles).
In times of low unemployment, it is beneficial to be flexible regarding employment opportunities; in times of high unemployment, it is a must. It boggles my mind how often I have heard of people that have been unemployed for extended periods of time saying that they turned down an employment opportunity because it was in a city or state that they did not want to go to. It shouldn't matter if the job is in Laramie, Wyoming or Columbia, South Carolina, beggars cannot be choosers. I understand that there are legitimate reasons why a person may not be able to immediately relocate (owning a home, children in school, etc.), however outside of those few situations, it is beyond foolish to limit a job search to one area in a time when employment opportunities are scarce.
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Black and Green
Green in the Inner City: Majora Carter
Carter has become a green celebrity -- and improved the lives of New York denizens -- through her nonprofit, Sustainable South Bronx, which provided "green-collar" job training for the underprivileged. She now heads the Majora Carter Group, a green economic development consulting firm.
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Black and Green
Green in the Inner City: Majora Carter
Carter has become a green celebrity -- and improved the lives of New York denizens -- through her nonprofit, Sustainable South Bronx, which provided "green-collar" job training for the underprivileged. She now heads the Majora Carter Group, a green economic development consulting firm.
Black and Green
Green in Washington: Jerome Ringo
When Ringo was elected chair of the National Wildlife Federation in 2005, the lifelong environmentalist became the first African American to head a major conservation group. Ringo, who is a member of Newsweek's Environment and Leadership Council, is now the president of the Apollo Alliance, a coalition of labor, environmental, national security, civil rights and business leaders who promote energy independence.
Black and Green
Green in Hip-Hop: Rev. Lennox Yearwood
Hip-hop and environmentalism aren't two things that are generally associated with each other, but Yearwood is trying to change that with his organization, Hip Hop Caucus. The caucus recently announced its "Green the Block" campaign, which promotes environmental causes in the black community.
Black and Green
Green in the Kitchen: Bryant Terry
Terry, eco chef, food justice activist and author (he wrote 'Vegan Soul Kitchen: Fresh, Healthy, and Creative African-American Cuisine' and 'Grub: Ideas for an Urban Kitchen'), has dedicated his professional career to promoting a sustainable food system and shedding light on poverty as it relates to the availability of organic, healthy foods.
Black and Green
Green in the Government: Lisa P. Jackson
When President Barack Obama appointed Jackson the administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, she became the first African American and the fourth woman to hold the position. She also sparked controversy among some environmentalists who didn't like her record as head of environmental protection in New Jersey. Whether you love her or hate her, she should get props for being an African American woman in a powerful -- and green -- position.
Black and Green
Green in Travel: Frank & Audrey Peterman
During a 1995 road trip, Audrey and Frank Peterman fell in love with the beauty of America's natural landmarks but were concerned that so few of their fellow travelers were people of color. The trip inspired them to create Earthwise Productions, which publishes Pick Up and Go! an environmental and travel newsletter focusing on the contributions people of color have made to our national parks.
Black and Green
>Green in Corporate America: Karen Y. Ellis
This FedEx leader isn't some corporate executive who doesn't care about the affect her company has on the environment. FedEx's carbon footprint is anything but small, but as the company's director of corporate and international environmental programs, Ellis challenges her corporation and others to be more environmentally responsible.
Black and Green
Green in Higher Ed: Michael K. Dorsey
A Dartmouth University professor and a longtime member of the Sierra Club, Dorsey's work focuses on the intersection of finance, environmental policy and social justice. He was recently granted a prestigious Ford Foundation grant to support his climate change research.
Black and Green
Green in the Black Community: Naomi Davis
Davis is a Chicago-based attorney and activist who sits at the helm of not one but two green organizations: BIG: Blacks in Green, a nonprofit promoting environmental causes in the black community, and Daughter's Trust, a green economics consulting firm.
Black and Green
Green in the White House: Van Jones
One of the most famous faces in the green movement, Jones was the founding president of Green for All, an organization dedicated to economic development of the poor through the green economy. Surprise, surprise: He's now Barack Obama's Green Jobs Czar.
Black and Green
Although the green job market is still in the early stages, there are jobs being developed and
resources available to help keep job candidates informed about potential opportunities. Now more than ever it is important for any individual looking for employment to be proactive and not just depend on traditional methods of job searching, such as newspapers, job sites, and staffing agencies. Even in good economic times many employers select employees based on personal referrals, and that is even more often the case in a bad economy. This means that it is imperative to develop relationships (or "network") as often as possible. It may sound cliche, but every second that you aren't spending doing something to improve your profile, someone else is. Also, given the amount of government funds being used to create green jobs, it is important to keep track of what government agencies or private corporations are receiving money for projects so as to stay ahead of the pack when job hunting.
The vast majority of long-term green jobs require a specialized skill or some advanced level of education, so if lacking in that area, now would be the time to develop it. There are
programs specifically designed to train individuals for green jobs, and some of those are available online.
The green job market may be a good source of employment in the near future, however it is up each person to make themselves as attractive a candidate as possible, by being flexible, proactive, and obtaining the education and skills sought after.
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By: wendy on 4/09/2010 1:29PM
This is going to be the fastest growing industry. I recommend this online green business ~
http://GreenHomeProfits.com
Check it out.
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By: Apothecary Jobs on 6/10/2010 4:05PM
In 1999, as the dot-com boom reached new heights, environmental journalist Joel Makower launched an online publication covering business and environmental interests: two areas he believed would become more connected.
Smart bet. The tech bubble burst, but Makower's publication, Green.com, boomed. Providing news and analysis, it's the flagship publication for Greener World Media, a for-profit company he created last year with associate Pete May. "As the greening of business expands, it is filtering into every aspect of business," from procurement to marketing to human resources, says
Apothecary Jobs
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By: Apothecary Jobs on 6/10/2010 4:09PM
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Special Report: Going Green
For Job Market, Green Means Growth
Brian Wingfield, 07.03.07, 6:00 AM ET
Slide Show: Green Jobs With Growth Potential
In 1999, as the dot-com boom reached new heights, environmental journalist Joel Makower launched an online publication covering business and environmental interests: two areas he believed would become more connected.
Smart bet. The tech bubble burst, but Makower's publication, GreenBiz.com, boomed. Providing news and analysis, it's the flagship publication for Greener World Media, a for-profit company he created last year with associate Pete May. "As the greening of business expands, it is filtering into every aspect of business," from procurement to marketing to human resources, says Makower.
In Pictures: Green Jobs With Great Growth Potential
According to Kevin Doyle, president of Green Economy, a Boston-based firm that promotes an environmentally healthy workforce, the green industry in the United States in 2005 was about $265 billion employing 1.6 million people in an estimated 118,000 jobs. This information was adapted from the Environmental Business Journal, he says, and does not include the organic industry.
Green businesses have also been growing at a rate of about 5% annually during the last three years, Doyle says. Two particularly hot areas are global carbon credit trading, which doubled to $28 billion from 2005 to 2006, and construction and services associated with ''green buildings'' that meet industry standards set by the U.S. Green Building Council. Today, the green building industry is worth $12 billion; 10 years ago, it was unquantifiable.
The greening of industry is creating a constellation of new careers, and they're not your everyday forestry professions. Many of them are environmental twists on old professions, like law, or in Makower's case, journalism. Others are engineering careers tied to research in renewable technologies like wind energy and ethanol production. For instance:
-- Emissions brokers: In a market economy, credits to emit greenhouse gases can be traded on an exchange, and brokers facilitate the deal. If the U.S. ever moves to a mandatory trading system, expect this field to boom.
-- Bio-mimicry engineers: This new branch of science uses Mother Nature as a model for solving engineering problems. For example, Atlanta's Corp. created a self-cleaning paint that repels dirt whenever it gets wet, just like the lotus leaf does
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By: Auto Sales on 4/22/2011 8:39AM
That is something which will decide the future.
Auto Sales
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