Spotlight
Green Jobs
The news media has been talking about “green jobs.” Politicians are predicting they are going to be the wave of the future to help the economy grow with perhaps as many as 4.2 million created over the next 30 years. But what are “green jobs?” Any job can be recreated as green if it is updated to deal with environmental protection/preservation or “sustainability.” Sustainability refers to individuals or organizations using methods that will insure their actions do not affect the balance of the ecosystem. Check out the purpose of the work to determine if it is green or not. New jobs with titles like Biomass Plant Technician or Chief Sustainability Officer are also being created. All of these occupations, both old and new, offer opportunities to upgrade the skills and the training of workers. Professional organizations are developing
training classes and certifications
unique to occupations in renewable energy, construction trades, waste management, transportation, and more.
All industries are taking measures to be more accountable to cleaning up the environment. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA 2009) includes more than $80 billion for the generation of renewable energy sources, expanding manufacturing capacity for clean energy technology, advancing vehicle and fuel technologies, and building a more efficient infrastructure. The building trades, ecotourism, engineering, government, landscaping, printing, recycling and waste disposal are just a few examples of industries that will be impacted by the trend to conserve energy, develop alternative energy, reduce pollution, or recycling.
Websites to check out for more information are:
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