Hot Spots for Green Jobs in Solar, Biofuels & More
October 19, 2009
Amid all the hubbub over Van Jones’ resignation and Obama’s focus on other issues, talk of green collar jobs in America has slowed down somewhat – but that doesn’t mean that those jobs aren’t out there. The clean-tech sector remains a bright spot in a dull economy, and a report released by Clean Edge research on Thursday hints at where those jobs are.
From CNET:
Based on the number of job postings and placements, and public and private investment, the report found the solar industry to be the leading clean-tech sector, followed by biofuels and biomaterials, conservation and efficiency, smart grids, and wind power.
For those willing to move for a job, the report lists the 15 areas in the U.S. where people are likely to find the most clean-tech job activity, as well as a separate list for global clean-tech hotspots.
Here’s the breakdown:
1. San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose
2. Los Angeles-Riverside-Orange County
3. New York-northern New Jersey-Long Island (N.Y.-N.J.-Conn.-Pa.)
4. Boston-Worcester-Lawrence-Lowell-Brockton (Mass., N.H.)
5. Washington, D.C.-Baltimore (Md., Va., W.V.)
See the rest of the list – which includes Denver, Seattle, Houston and Detroit – over at CNET.
The report, “Clean Tech Job Trends 2009” (PDF) also includes tons of other info for clean-tech job hunters including schools that offer green career training, websites where you can find green job listings and a list of the best green-tech blogs, so it’s definitely worth a read.
Link [CNET]
Photo credit: Oregon DOT
10 Must-Read Articles for Green Job Hunters
January 28, 2009
So, the employment situation in America is looking mighty gloomy. That’s cause for anyone to worry, even if they’re not among the hundreds of thousands laid off in recent months – so preparing a back-up plan is a popular thing to do right about now. That beacon in the darkness? It’s the green collar job market. While so many other industries are laying people off, green businesses are growing, and there are thousands of green jobs to be had.
Green Gigs, a blog that posts daily lists of green telecommuting opportunities, came up with this list of 10 articles you should read if you’re seeking an environmental job or just want to get some info preemtively.
1) Get a Job: Top 10 Guides to Finding the Perfect Eco Career – TakePart: Where better to start then a list of must read environmental career guides?
2) Great Green Careers – CNNMoney Fortune: Learn how people are making green livings with this article that profiles five professionals and their chosen green career paths.
3) Ten Best Green Jobs for the Next Decade – Fast Company: Okay, you know you want a green career, but which to choose? Take a gander at this list of the ten hottest green jobs. Farming anyone?
4) Switching To Green-Collar Jobs -BusinessWeek: Just because you’re not a trained “green” professional, doesn’t mean you can’t forge a green career using your own expertise.
5) Opportunities For Green Growth: Myths and Realities About Green Jobs – Center for American Progress Action Fund: Go straight to the source – read Van Jones’ testimony before Congress regarding the realities of creating green jobs.
6) Where are the New Jobs for Women? – The New York Times: Uh-oh, all was going well until it was pointed out that most green jobs are dominated by males.
7) The ‘Green Jobs’ Myth – The Wall Street Journal: Hmmm…see what those in the EU have to say about U.S. “green jobs”.
Hot ‘Green’ Jobs Keep Evolving – U.S. News & World Report – Just what is a “green job”?
9) Why Obama’s green jobs plan may work – Los Angeles Time: It’s not all gloom and doom, maybe there is hope for a green economy.
10) Green industries offer job growth opportunity – msnbc: Yes, I knew it!
Check back with us early next week for the EarthFirst guide to nabbing a green job – info on how to prepare, which industries are the most promising and how to apply.
Link [Green Gigs]
Photo credit: Rainforest Action Network
‘Green Collar Economy’ by Van Jones Flying Off the Shelves
October 23, 2008
When Van Jones wrote ‘The Green Collar Economy’, the Wall Street collapse hadn’t yet happened and Americans weren’t nearly as cynical about the future of America’s economy as they are today. The release of the book just happened to coincide with the meltdown, coming at a time when people are desperate for hope. That propitious timing combined with a brilliant viral marketing strategy resulted in copies of ‘The Green Collar Economy’ flying off the shelves: the book debuted at #12 on the New York Times bestseller list this week.
Jones and the environmental organization he founded, Green for All, didn’t have much money to get the word out about “The Green Collar Economy”, but they did have the drive to get the book in as many people’s hands as possible. So, they improvised, and their strategy paid off big. As Jones told The Huffington Post, “Usually to get to number 12 the first week as a new author you’ve got to spend a million bucks or be on Oprah.”
From The Huffington Post:
Through a combination of emails and phone calls to friends, bloggers, and a network of activists, Jones estimates that the viral campaign he and his co-workers launched resulted in emails being sent to millions of people, many of whom surely forwarded it along. The initial commercial success of “Green Collar Economy” proves that Internet buzz combined with online activism can push a book onto the best sellers list.
It also helps to have something original and important to say, which Jones clearly does. His book is an innovative and impassioned account of how transforming America into a greener society would not only address the global warming crisis but also generate enough jobs to help turn the around the economy around and provide work for the Americans who need it most.Jones and Green for All contacted around 150 organizations, national and local, reaching out to everyone from community gardening groups to the Hip Hop Caucus. They even got the owners of the domain name greencollareconomy.com to promote the book on their website. All of this hard work means that hundreds of thousands of people across the country are learning right now about how the environmental movement can help them, their companies and their families prosper well into the future while also aiding in the fight against global warming.
Learn more about Van Jones’ efforts to jump-start a green collar economy by reading his recent interview with The Huffington Post.
Link [The Huffington Post] + [Amazon]
Buy Van Jones’ New Book!
October 19, 2008
Watch this pair of great videos and you’ll understand just how important programs like Green Corps are. Green Corps trains organizers, provides field support for today’s critical environmental campaigns and produce activists with the skills and commitment to win the environmental battles of tomorrow.
Green for All founder Van Jones knows that programs like Green Corps represent the future of jobs in America. In fact, his new book, ‘The Green Collar Economy’, explains how we can use the green movement to create a clean energy revolution in the United States, resulting in an instant economic stimulus. Why are you still reading this? Go buy his book!
Green Business Jobs Driving Rising Enrollment at Business Colleges
September 4, 2008
The Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise has seen a 30% rise in enrollment over the 2007-2008 school year due to students’ confidence in the bright, lucrative future of green business. The Erb Institute is a program that partners with the University of Michigan Stephen M. Ross School of Business and School of Natural Resources and the Environment.
School administrators at the Erb Institute believe that enrollment in 2010 will be even higher, as more students seek to get into the green business field. From Mlive.com:
“The program has been growing steadily over the years, especially since 2004, but still this was such a big jump that it took me by surprise” said Thomas P. Lyon, Erb Institute director. “I think the biggest driver has been the greater public awareness of green issues, especially climate change. A number of things have contributed to this shift: new scientific information about the risks of climate change, Al Gore’s movie ‘An Inconvenient Truth,’ (and) Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath.”
“I think a lot of that trend is people seeing a shift in markets, this ‘greening’ of America,” said Brewster Boyd, an MBA student planning to graduate in 2009.
Rising enrollment at the Erb Institute is no doubt a sign of a broader trend across the country. College students are looking toward the future, and they’re seeing success and fulfillment in green industries. Environmental issues are tied to our country’s economic future, and many opportunities will be opening up over the coming decade.
Lyon, the Erb Institute director, hopes that the younger generation’s drive toward green business will help the Michigan economy, which is the weakest in the nation.
Link [Mlive.com]
