Everybody’s talking about the green movement today; the trend toward more sustainable industrial and energy production practices and technology that we’re seeing continues to grow, although slowly, despite the continued economic downturn. According to an article that appeared earlier this month in the Boston Herald, government watchdogs are concerned that economic stimulus money might be going to projects which may be totally unrelated to the environment and the main reason for that may be that the government still doesn’t have a firm definition of what qualifies as ‘green’.
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Last year there was a marked increase in green job training programs offered at many community colleges and the trend no doubt continues. Many people are under the impression, because of all the green hype no doubt, that the market is flush with potential green positions, but some folks who have received such training still struggle to find jobs as the economy takes its toll, even on sustainability. That, of course, does not mean there aren’t any green jobs out there, just that the competition is stiff. But then that’s nothing new either is it?
Some of the most visible green-collar jobs are in the wind and solar energy industries as these low environmental impact methods of energy production are garnering much more attention than they ever have. Solar panel installers and wind turbine operators are in demand as well as biofuel technicians and line workers. Building retrofitting is a growing market as home and business owners seek, not only to have less environmental impact, but also to save money with increased heating efficiency, reduced energy usage with green appliances, and improved insulation to prevent heating/cooling losses.
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Green careers are also available in the public utility sphere: water treatment, and recycling. And since the resurgence of discussion on more and better mass transportation in America, this industry is expected to pick up as well. According to this article, a recent survey indicated that 82% of Americans feel that the country would benefit from improved public transportation. Increased mass transit usage in the U.S. might go a long way toward reduction in greenhouse gas emmissions, further improving our efforts at a lower environmental impact.
For more information on the green movement and green careers try checking out the following links:
If you’ve had success in finding a green career we’d love to hear about it! And if you have any tips for others looking to go green feel free to post them in the comments section.
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