![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.frankejames.com\/art\/seagull_sf20073.jpg\" "\\"seagull")
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By Franke James<\/a>, Founder, Office-Politics.com<\/em> Would you — or your kids — rather work at a ‘McJob’ or a ‘Green Collar’ job?\u00a0Let’s hope we can convince lots of young people that green collar jobs offer far brighter opportunities than any McJob, because the world needs a lot of cleaning up (even without further disasters like the oil spills in\u00a0San Francisco Bay<\/a>\u00a0and the\u00a0Black Sea<\/a> in 2007).<\/p>\n I happened to be visiting San Francisco on November 8th, 2007, the day after a cargo ship crashed into the Oakland San Francisco Bay bridge spilling 58,000 gallons of heavy bunker fuel oil into San Francisco Bay. The spill is a tragedy that has damaged wildlife, fish stocks, plants and tourism. It may take years, and an unknown number of man hours, to clean up. Beaches were closed, police cordoned off sensitive areas, and numerous signs were posted warning of the environmental damage.<\/p>\n At times like these, the notion that humanity will ever win the climate change battle can seem unlikely and overwhelming. But I look for signs of hope that we can wake people up to the need to train\u00a0eco-janitors\u00a0\/\u00a0eco-disaster relief workers\u00a0so that we can limit the damage from environmental accidents. Green Collar jobs represent a need and therefore an opportunity. Green jobs could mean gainful employment for millions, and a cleaner world — and unlike Blue Collar jobs they can’t be shipped offshore. They can offer far more interesting and lucrative opportunities than any job in the fast food industry.<\/p>\n Thomas L. Friedman, New York Times columnist and author of the ‘World is Flat’, recently wrote about the green collar opportunity as a\u00a0pathway out of poverty<\/a>. The excerpt which jumped out at me is this:<\/p>\n “…a crusade to help underprivileged blacks and other disadvantaged communities understand why they would be the biggest beneficiaries of a greener America. It’s about jobs. The more government requires buildings to be more energy efficient, the more work there will be retrofitting buildings all across America with solar panels, insulation and other weatherizing materials. Those are manual-labor jobs that can’t be outsourced.<\/p>\n “You can’t take a building you want to weatherize, put it on a ship to China and then have them do it and send it back,” said Jones. “So we are going to have to put people to work in this country – weatherizing millions of buildings, putting up solar panels, constructing wind farms. Those green-collar jobs can provide a pathway out of poverty for someone who has not gone to college.”<\/p>\n Let’s tell our disaffected youth:\u00a0“You can make more money if you put down that handgun and pick up a caulk gun.”<\/p>\n Remember, adds Jones, “a big chunk of the African-American community is economically stranded. The blue-collar, stepping-stone, manufacturing jobs are leaving. And they’re not being replaced by anything. So you have this whole generation of young blacks who are basically in economic free fall.” Green-collar retrofitting jobs are a great way to catch them.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n (Ironically eco-janitor\/eco-disaster relief worker does not appear on their list!)<\/p>\n 10 Great Green Opportunities<\/strong> Everything\u2019s coming up green. Across every industry, new job possibilities are emerging for those with the skills to bridge the divide between the old, fossil-fuel-based economy and the new, energy-efficient one. Corporations once demonized for their role in creating pollution and exploiting workers are being held accountable; they are partnering with nonprofits and hiring corporate social responsibility managers. They are finding that reducing their impact is as good for future profits as for the planet at large. There\u2019s no secret to getting a job in the new green economy. It\u2019s as basic as applying the job skills you\u2019ve already developed (web design, sales, management) to a nonprofit or sustainable industry, or coordinating sustainable practices from within a corporate entity. Sometimes, as in green building or solar panel installing, these green jobs require a specific set of skills\u2014and classes are organizing to fill the growing need. Other times, as in the organic food industry, ecotourism or sales and marketing of energy-efficient technology, anyone with a good work ethic can get in and create a great green career.<\/p>\n Green Globetrotters: Travel and Hospitality<\/strong><\/p>\n 1. Tourism is the largest business sector in the world economy, so it\u2019s no wonder that people are finding entry-level work greening the industry. Ecotourism is growing at three times the rate of the tourism sector itself, and demanding more knowledgeable workers committed to sustainability. \u201cThere is great diversity within the field,\u201d says Ayako Etaka of the International Ecotourism Society (TIES). Green travel employees generally work for private companies, government and public institutions and nonprofits.<\/p>\n Openings are also coming from businesses that are looking to turn over a new green leaf. According to the Green Hotels Association (GHA), \u201cGuidance from an employed \u2018Green Team\u2019 can turn hotels into educators, showing us simple steps we can take to be more sustainable.\u201d Working within the ecotourism field also provides employees with the opportunity to travel while communicating the importance of the global environment.<\/p>\n \u201cGiving guests an understanding of ecological changes invites them to participate in protecting the environment,\u201d says Mary Jo Viederman of Lindblad Expeditions. Jobs in ecotourism can be high-risk and adventurous, but also limited by season or temporary. Salaries for ecotourism managers, operators and guides can be difficult to predict, because of vast differences between employers and the tourism market itself. But as Etaka says, \u201cThere are always opportunities to extend your experience in the field.\u201d \u2014Kathryn Gutleber<\/p>\n CONTACT: International Ecotourism Society, (202)347-9203; Green Hotels Association, (713) 789-8889; Lindblad Expeditions, (800) EXPEDITION<\/p>\n Sustainability Stewards: Planning and Land Use<\/strong><\/p>\n 2. Local governments are increasingly interested in how they can reduce their communities\u2019 carbon footprint, and turning to city planning professionals for direction. Megan Lewis, senior research associate for the American Planning Association, says wetlands restoration, stormwater management, transportation and urban design are coming to the forefront of the profession.<\/p>\n \u201cThe planning community is very interested in climate change issues and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions,\u201d she says. \u201cWe need to be thinking about our buildings and how they can be carbon neutral.\u201d<\/p>\n New urbanism, which emphasizes sustainable and transit-oriented development is also a growing trend in such places as the Southeast, California and the Pacific Northwest, says Meghan Sharp, assistant project manager for the Livable Communities team at the International City\/County Management Association. She says architects and designers are adapting their skills to accommodate this type of city planning.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a market demand for more sustainable community design,\u201d Sharp says. \u201cAs communities change their zoning regulations, there\u2019s a learning curve that architects and planners need to overcome.\u201d<\/p>\n Geographic Information System (GIS) specialists are also assets to planning departments, Lewis says. In the private sector, planning consultants can help communities look at the big picture by connecting transportation lines and designing more sustainable living and working environments. \u2014Shawn Query<\/p>\n CONTACTS: American Planning Association, (202)872-0611; International City\/County Management Association, 202-289-(ICMA)<\/p>\n Complementary Care: Health and Medicine<\/strong><\/p>\n 3. According to a survey conducted in 2002 by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), 36 percent of U.S. adults use some form of alternative care. NCCAM is a group of diverse medical and health-care systems, practices and products outside of conventional medicine. Victor Kumar, a licensed acupuncturist at Creative Wellness in Michigan, says his job allows him a great deal of doctor-patient interaction. \u201cThere are many practices where MDs just aren\u2019t able to spend the time,\u201d says Kumar. \u201cWith acupuncture, you have more time to treat people not just the disease.\u201d<\/p>\n Dr. Matthew Fisel, a naturopathic physician based in New Haven, Connecticut, says you can\u2019t just tap into the built-in network that comes with a traditional medical degree. \u201cThis field is a lot more dependent on individual talents,\u201dFisel says. He offers a range of treatments, from detoxification to nutritional counseling, spinal manipulation to adjunctive cancer therapy. \u201cIt\u2019s really satisfying seeing people become their own advocates for health,\u201d he says. While both coasts (and the Northwest) are stocked with natural-care physicians, the need for alt-docs is spreading across the rural U.S. \u2014Jessica Knoblauch & Brita Belli<\/p>\n CONTACTS: Dr. Matthew Fisel, (203)294-9772; National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, (888)644-6226; Creative Wellness, (517)351-9240<\/p>\n Power Pushers: Energy and Renewables<\/strong><\/p>\n 4. When Peter Beadle launched the site Greenjobs.com in 2005, he couldn\u2019t charge for the service. \u201cThe first year was slow,\u201d Beadle says. Now, with the explosive interest in renewable energy jobs, Greenjobs.com is getting noticed.<\/p>\n With his background in the solar industry, Beadle knows the career potential in renewables. \u201cSolar and wind are already multibillion-dollar industries,\u201d he says, \u201cand hydrogen and fuel cell production are still in the nascent stages.\u201d Industries like hydropower and geothermal tend to recruit engineers from conventional fields, he says. But it\u2019s in marketing and sales where job-seekers will have the easiest time breaking in to the renewables industry. There are also those who install and maintain the solar panels and wind turbines. Installers are in high demand, says Beadle, and certification is readily available.<\/p>\n Renewable energy careers have the potential to re-establish America\u2019s lost middle class. \u201cIf we\u2019re going to be serious about building a wind program, it should be local,\u201d says Kate Gordon, program director at the Apollo Alliance, a nonprofit dedicated to the creation of clean energy jobs. \u201cIt\u2019s the same with solar panels and energy-efficiency technology.\u201d Renewable energy requires more manpower than fossil fuel\u2014wind power creates 2.77 jobs for every megawatt produced, solar PV creates 7.24 jobs per megawatt\u2014but the U.S. lags behind Japan and Germany both in technology and jobs in the renewable energies race, according to industry site Solarbuzz.com. \u201cThe U.S. used to lead in solar,\u201d says Beadle, \u201cbut it lost some impetus because of incentives offered in Germany and Japan.\u201d \u2014B.B.<\/p>\n CONTACTS: Greenjobs; Apollo Alliance, (202)955-5665<\/p>\n Planet Protectors: Legal Careers<\/strong><\/p>\n 5. When a power plant is polluting more than its fair share, or an imperiled mammal needs recognition under the Endangered Species Act, environmental law groups go to court and fight the good fight.<\/p>\n Bill Funk teaches environmental law at Lewis and Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon. \u201cSometimes you need to go to court to make sure that going green happens,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Students at Lewis and Clark can get environmental law certification with their degree, and most go on to work in government at the state and federal levels or private practices with an environmental bent. But you don\u2019t need a law degree to help win big cases for the environment.<\/p>\n Earthjustice, a nonprofit which started as the Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund in 1971, employs more than 150 people including lawyers, communications specialists, fundraising and general support positions, says Shelie Luperine, Earthjustice human resources generalist. Earthjustice keeps an online list of job openings, and Luperine says most employees have one thing in common\u2014their passion for the environment.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople seek out this type of job because they want to tackle issues about the air they breathe or the water they\u2019re drinking,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Earthjustice was instrumental in the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that says greenhouse gas must be regulated under the Clean Air Act. It has fought against mountaintop removal mining, and for endangered species listings. The organization is also always looking for volunteers to help with mailing and fundraising, Luperine says. \u2014S.Q.<\/p>\n CONTACTS: Lewis & Clark Law School, (503)768-6600; Earthjustice, (800)584-6460<\/p>\n Green Geeks: Information Technology (IT)<\/strong><\/p>\n 6. Joe Kosisek, IT specialist for the Washington State Department of Ecology, is trained to work in any type of corporate situation; he just happens to be environmentally inclined. With a bachelor\u2019s degree in industrial technology, a master\u2019s in systems management and extensive electronics training, Kosisek uses his skills for a \u201cgreen\u201d cause. \u201cPeople think there is some kind of mystery, \u2018Where are the \u2018green\u2019 jobs?\u2019\u201d says Marie Kerpan, founder of consulting practice Green Careers, \u201cThere are a bazillion companies where you can take your skills and put it to work in a \u2018green company.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n In the nonprofit sector, IT work may not require extensive training. \u201cI fell into the IT side of things by working for a small nonprofit in which people wear many hats,\u201d says Megan Hill, program coordinator at EcoVentures International, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the development of sustainable communities and livelihoods. For global organizations like EcoVentures, the Internet is a valuable tool. \u201cThe idea that the web can be used for outreach, fundraising and political awareness is very powerful,\u201d says Kerpan. But finding the funds to pay for IT or technical services is a challenge for these organizations. \u201cWe must be economically sustainable as well as environmentally sustainable,\u201d says Hill.<\/p>\n For those looking to apply their technical skills toward a \u201cgreen\u201d career, Hill offers a word of advice. \u201cBe open to starting with little to no pay. It will give you the experience you need to be able to be hired by those few organizations and businesses that can afford to provide the salary that you want.\u201d \u2014Julia Hirsch<\/p>\n CONTACT: EcoVentures International, (202)667-0802<\/p>\n Eco Educators: Green Learning<\/strong><\/p>\n 7. Over the past few years, sustainability coordinators\u2014a job position that didn\u2019t even exist a few years ago\u2014have been joining the ranks of educational institutions looking to \u201cgo green.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe get calls constantly from institutions looking to hire sustainability professionals,\u201d said Tom Kimmerer, executive director of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). In turn, green educators often find job availability in businesses looking for people who have strengths in some aspect of environmental management. \u201cThe demand for these people is sector-wide,\u201d says Kimmerer.<\/p>\n Though there aren\u2019t many schools offering degrees in sustainability, that\u2019s beginning to change. \u201cThe schools are either converting existing programs or starting new ones,\u201d said Kimmerer.<\/p>\n Dedee DeLongpre, director of the Office of Sustainability at the University of Florida, was part of a pioneer program at Presidio School of Management in San Francisco, which began offering an MBA in Sustainable Management in 2003. \u201cThey wove principles of sustainability into all of the coursework,\u201d said DeLongpre. \u201cIt was an amazing opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n DeLongpre says that the best part about her job is working with the students. \u201cTheir world isn\u2019t about obstacles,\u201d said DeLongpre, \u201cIt\u2019s inspired by possibilities and innovation.\u201d \u2014 J.A.K.<\/p>\n CONTACTS: Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, (859)402-9272; Presidio School of Management, (415) 561-6555<\/p>\n Better Builders: Design and Construction<\/strong><\/p>\n 8. Green builders already have a competitive advantage over traditional builders, according to Ashley Katz, communications coordinator for the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). And that advantage will continue to grow as sustainable, energy-efficient building practices become the norm.<\/p>\n \u201cUSGBC\u2019s vision is sustainability within a generation,\u201d Katz says. \u201cPeople who are already involved in the green building market are ahead of the curve\u2014they\u2019ll be the ones who are in demand.\u201d USGBC\u2019s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system, which once applied primarily to commercial buildings, has now been adapted to homes, retail, schools and healthcare buildings, creating a need for more LEED-accredited professionals (LEED APs) and other green-minded engineers, contractors, architects and designers. There\u2019s also room for more employees in service businesses making green products and materials, from recycled roofing to energy-efficient heating systems.<\/p>\n Montana-based CTA Architects and Engineers employs 47 LEED APs and took on the role of developer for its latest sustainable project, Amsterdam Village. The 350-acre development in Southwest Montana includes sustainable requirements for homes, 50 percent open space, an organic farm, walking trails and wetlands. \u201cThere\u2019s a synergy that goes on when your neighbors are doing the same thing you are,\u201d says lead CTA architect Wayne Freeman. \u201cThere\u2019s the desire to keep up with the Jones\u2019.\u201d What\u2019s more, says Freeman, \u201cLots of clients are starting to like this idea. It\u2019s a free market society and that\u2019s where people\u2019s values are shifting.\u201d \u2014B.B.<\/p>\n CONTACTS: U.S. Green Building Council, (800) 795-1747; Amsterdam Village, (406) 570-9199<\/p>\n Improving Industry: Corporate Social Responsibility<\/strong><\/p>\n 9. In the age of Halliburton and ExxonMobil scandals, the idea of holding corporations accountable for their actions might sound na\u00efve. But with companies working to establish guidelines for social responsibility, the word \u201ccorporation\u201d could sill take on new meaning in the 21st century. To make corporations more responsive to environmental, human rights and health issues, corporate responsibility advocates start from business\u2019 bottom line and work their way up. Using the idea of the integrative \u201ctriple bottom line,\u201d activists have persuaded some corporations to move from thinking solely about profits to the three P\u2019s\u2014people, planet and profits.<\/p>\n \u201cTriple bottom line is explicit and disseminated in terms of how a business operates on a day-to-day basis,\u201d says Erica Dreisbach of Social Venture Network, a nonprofit designed to educate businesses on social responsibility. \u201cThe fact that corporations are starting to talk about reform means that corporate social responsibility is going to become more mainstream in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n To wield some clout, you need knowledge of labor law and human resource management. As corporations link their future to turning green, they are able to recognize the competitive advantage of an environmental edge. \u2014K.G.<\/p>\n CONTACT: Social Venture Network, (415) 561-6501<\/p>\n Organic Occupations: Food and Farming<\/strong><\/p>\n 10. The promise of organic\u2019s higher price tags has not been lost on farmers. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, land used for organic crops increased from 48,000 acres in 1997 to 122,000 acres in 2005. That increase has opened doors, especially for students seeking a hands-on experience on a working farm through the likes of WWOOF (Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms). And finding full-time work on an organic farm is not as far-fetched as it might sound.<\/p>\n Some manage organic farms without actually owning the land, leasing it through a land trust. \u201cOther people are starting farms on an acre and a half to two acres,\u201d says Bill Duesing, executive director of the Connecticut Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA). And there is more job potential around farmer\u2019s markets. According to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) figures, farmer\u2019s markets increased seven percent between 2005 and 2006, to 4,385. \u201cThe most successful farmer\u2019s markets have this infrastructure of people who run and promote them,\u201d says Duesing, citing CitySeed in New Haven, Connecticut as bringing area farm stands and community outreach under one umbrella. There are also jobs in farmland protection, education opportunities at on-campus student farms and even a need for chefs specializing in local food.<\/p>\n And the market for organic food has opened channels well beyond the local farm stands. Albert\u2019s Organics is the nation\u2019s leading organic foods distributor and its staff is continually expanding, from warehouse workers to operations and sales staff and administration and computer systems. The company supplies 5,000 supermarkets, natural food stores and restaurants with some 250 seasonal fruits and vegetables. They are always actively recruiting new growers, says Frank McCarthy, Albert\u2019s vice president of marketing. \u201cFrom farming to harvesting and post-harvest handling, distribution, sales and retailing,\u201d McCarthy says, \u201calmost any food industry career is also available in the organic food industry.\u201d \u2014B.B.<\/p>\n CONTACTS: WWOOF; 10 Great Green Opportunities\u00a0Reprinted with permission from\u00a0E- The Environmental Magazine:\u00a0Welcome to Green-Collar America<\/a>\u00a0Does the Future of the American Middle Class Lie in Sustainable Business?<\/p>\n Would you — or your kids — rather work at a ‘McJob’ or a ‘Green Collar’ job? Let’s hope we can convince lots of young people that green collar jobs offer far brighter opportunities than any McJob, because the world needs a lot of cleaning up (even without further disasters like the November 2007 oil spill in San Francisco Bay and the Black Sea).<\/p>\n I happened to be visiting San Francisco on November 8th, 2007, the day after a cargo ship crashed into the Oakland San Francisco Bay bridge spilling 58,000 gallons of heavy bunker fuel oil into San Francisco Bay. The spill is a tragedy that has damaged wildlife, fish stocks, plants and tourism. It may take years, and an unknown number of man hours, to clean up. Beaches were closed, police cordoned off sensitive areas, and numerous signs were posted warning of the environmental damage.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[368],"tags":[460,459,26,456,457,458,461],"class_list":["post-355","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-inspiring-thoughts-office-politics","tag-e-the-environmental-magazine","tag-environmental-magazine","tag-franke-james","tag-green-collar","tag-green-collar-jobs","tag-mcjob","tag-the-green-jobs-act"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.officepolitics.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/355","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.officepolitics.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.officepolitics.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.officepolitics.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.officepolitics.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=355"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.officepolitics.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/355\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.officepolitics.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=355"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.officepolitics.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=355"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.officepolitics.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=355"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n (Article originally published on www.MyGreenConscience.com<\/a><\/em>)<\/em><\/p>\n![\"oil](\"http:\/\/www.frankejames.com\/art\/oilspill_0052.jpg\" "\\"oil")
While we walked along the waterfront, I snapped the photo (above) of the seagull with the sticky oil on its neck, and also took shots of oil floating in the water (right). It was obviously a huge ecological disaster. Many thoughts raced through my mind,\u00a0“How could it have happened? How could it be prevented? And how are they ever going to clean it up?”<\/p>\n![\"E](\"http:\/\/www.frankejames.com\/images\/emagcov_ND07.jpg\" "\\"E")
<\/a>E- The Environmental Magazine’s\u00a0November Issue\u00a0<\/a>features an article on Great Green Jobs and also discusses pending U.S. legislation called “The Green Jobs Act”, which contains specific language about using the green economy as a \u201cpathway out of poverty.\u201d Below is their list of 10 green collar opportunities.<\/p>\n
\nBy Brita Belli, K. Gutlebar, J. Hirsch, J. Knoblauch, S. Query<\/p>\n
\nNortheast Organic Farming Association, (203) 888-5146;
\nAlbert\u2019s Organics, (800) 671-0707<\/p>\nWANTED: Green Collar Workers \u00a9 2007 Franke James;
\nPhotos and writing by Franke James<\/a>, MFA<\/h6>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n