MAR 16

The green jobs debate rages on. Some argue that all the stimulus money being poured into green efforts - like renewable energy and building retrofitting – will create millions of new jobs, and will revitalize the economy. Others are not so sure. The latest opinion to be voiced comes out of the Institute for Energy Research, which just published a study challenging the rosy predictions of people like the Center For American Progress (who predicted that $100 billion worth of green investment would create 2 million jobs).

One criticism is that the term “green job” is ill defined. This is certainly true, although the root of the problem is that “green” is pretty ill defined to begin with. There is no “green” sector – all sectors of our economic infrastructure are part of the problem, and fixing all of those parts will have to be part of the solution. And so, a construction worker weatherizing a house has a green job just as much as a solar energy technician.

And so it is difficult to make predictions in the first place, let alone specific numbers like 2 million. But the IER also points out that for all the new jobs that will be created when we start building wind turbines, we will lose jobs at coal power plants. In fact, the impact will go far beyond just the power sector. People talk about how the economy needs to be “restructured”; to be blunt, “restructuring” means that a lot of industries that people depend on to put food on their table will become discouraged, and eventually useless.

In his book “Hot, Flat and Crowded”, Thomas Friedman writes:

But whenever I hear that “we’re having a green revolution” line I can’t resist firing back: “Really? Really? A green revolution? Have you ever seen a revolution where no one got hurt?”

In other words, change is exciting, but it runs the risk of causing some people, communities and industries to fall through the cracks. At the same time, although there is a desperate need for a whole new generation of technicians, engineers, mechanics, and other skilled professionals to build and tend to tomorrow’s PV and solar thermal power plants, electric car and lithium-ion battery factories, ethanol and biodiesel factories, etc. – are there enough people with the necessary skills to fill those roles?

A hopeful way to look at the situation is to say: Why not teach all the people who will lose jobs in fossil fuel, or carbon-emitting sectors to work in new, green sectors. I was, personally, very excited when I read that $500 million of stimulus money was going into education for green jobs. Education is important, to provide opportunities both for mid-career professionals who want to make the transition into green, and for entry-level professionals who have their entire career to contribute, innovate and develop.

With Van Jones as President Obama’s new unofficial Green Job Guru, there is a good chance that training and education will become cornerstones of coming green job policies. Jones believes in such training, especially for workers in poorer communities. Seeing as he wrote the book on the subject (The Green Collar Revolution), I’d imagine there’s no one better to push the agenda in Washington.

Via Green Inc, Greentech Media

Comments (15)

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"green job" is such a weird term
written by Imee, March 17, 2009

The term green job or green-collar job is pretty odd to me. People only have a general idea of what those are, but defined or undefined, I still think jobs that help the environment are nothing but positive.

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Great Post
written by Danish, March 17, 2009

Excellent site ecogeek.org and I am really pleased to see you have what I am actually looking for here: this... As it's taken me literally 2 hours and 51 minutes of searching the web to find you (just kidding!) so I shall be pleased to become a regular visitor :)

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government is promoting and stalling gre
written by bobbobberson, March 17, 2009

An article on how several projects are stalled due to government turf battles.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/200...yQyw4S.MwF

EcoGeek also showed previously the Bureau of Land Management is backlogged in applications. Seems like the government is simultaneously pushing for and holding back green jobs.

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Businesses should adapt to the world, no
written by TimJ, March 17, 2009

Yes, if the economy changes lots of people with 'stable' careers will lose their jobs. People in newspaper are losing their jobs because everything is going online. While it is indeed a shame, it's absurd to imply that we shouldn't change our energy industry based solely on people keeping their jobs.

I like that the author addresses education. The goal is to create more new jobs and better new jobs in this green sector -- and certainly the education of new tricks for those old dogs is necessary.

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The Hype is backed up by facts
written by Tracey de Morslla, March 18, 2009

I think there IS a lot of green jobs hype going on. However there are many facts to back up many of the claims. Even before the government was pouring billions into green programs and green jobs programs green jobs growth was making an impact on the economy.

Let me give you a few examples:

American Solar Energy Society (ASES) recently reported that for 2007, the latest year compiled statistics were available, the U.S renewable energy and energy efficiency (RE&EE) industries generated $1,045 billion in sales and created over 9 million jobs.

According to the 2009 Green Innovation Index, since 2005 green jobs in California have grown at a rate ten times faster than total job growth.

The Environmental & Energy Study Institute (EESI) reported gross revenues over $900 billion and 8 million jobs created in 2006. With over seventy percent of major corporations along with federal, state and local government planning on spending huge sums on energy efficiency this year, that number can only go up.

Tracey
http://greeneconomypost.com
When the hype fades into the background, I think there are going to being a large number of skilled workers with decent wages and employment stability as a result of all the activity going on right now to build the green economy.

Tracey

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...
written by russ, March 18, 2009

I agree fully with Tracey - as far as workers go they are just jobs.

There will be old & new companies doing old & new things in old & new ways - jobs are jobs as far as most people care.

The 'Green' jobs are nothing more than political rhetoric for most of us.

The government's duty as well as concerned individuals is to push companies in the right direction for the environment.

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Looking for a green job?
written by Ivan Storck, March 18, 2009

One way to find out whether the hype is for real or not is to look at the green jobs that are available and posted on the internet. One site that helps you look for green jobs is SustainLane.com

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...
written by Carl, March 18, 2009

A few points:

- Building a bunch of wind turbines doesn't mean that a coal powered plant is immediately shut down. Our demand for energy keeps growing, so the coal powered plants probably aren't going anywhere for a while.

- Investing in green energy creates more jobs per dollar invested than by investing in non-green energy.

- Also, the IER is heavily funded by the oil industry. I'm not saying there can't be disagreements about the issue, but consider the source of such disagreements when taking them into account.

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definition
written by falcon, March 19, 2009

you ask me, the definition of "green job" would be simpliy something like "a job that, in its execution, reduces the amount of energy wasted and/or pollutants emitted to the enviroment, compared to the previous state of the system"

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There are very few green jobs...
written by Eric Crawford, March 24, 2009

According to our studies, there has been no growth over the last few years in what we define to be the traditional green market - Jobs in wind, water, environmental, for example. The current hype is creating a movement where nearly every college graduate and job changer is looking for a green job. There is, and will continue to be, a gap in supply. The answer is behavioral and we are optimistic about the future of this movement. When we all get on-board greening the companies and organizations for whom we work and from whom we buy our goods and services, the sooner we will create the real green job movement and economy.

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350 is green
written by Marvin Rothfusz, March 25, 2009

"Will it reduce the level of atmospheric CO2 from its present overheating 388 parts per million?" is my definition of a green job and economy.

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No Pain No Gain
written by Ray-ray, March 25, 2009

“Hot, Flat and Crowded”, Thomas Friedman predicts a revolution and people will be hurt. But not as hurt if we didnt do it. We will experience some growing pains in this green revolution. Lets go for it anyway. There is light at the end of the tunnel.

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why I am optimistic
written by marco, March 30, 2009

I am optimistic about the potential magnitude of the "Green Jobs" because it can create more jobs, not fewer. A great share of the energy supply in the so-called "western democracies" comes from outside sources: middle east, russia.. To be energy-indepent needs an awful lot of effort, and a net input of workers to create that energy independence.
That's why I think we can create a net expansion, in Europe as in the US, while creating these green jobs.

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New Energy Assessment industry in UK & E
written by Alan King, April 10, 2009

As a construction professional in the UK. The sustainability agenda is very much embedded in the EU & UK. As an energy consultancy, we (Syntegra Consulting Ltd), very much welcome the emphasis of Sustainability and green buildings. It has seen the emergence of new qualifications/roles such as domestic & commercial building energy assessors to provide energy performance certificates(EPC) to all buildings marketed for sale or let - This is now a mandatory requirement. As a forward thinking energy consultancy we embraced this new legislation rather than ignored or reject it as part of our strategy - We are now seeing dividens an despite the economic downturn we are positive about the year to come.

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mr.
written by frank hempknotpot, April 27, 2009

Industrial Geneticly Enginerred HEMP(s) AgainST milataries industrial COMPLEX & RESULTinG ignorance stupidities to B REdirected REtoolED for the LIVinG aBOve burial GROUNDs cemeTARIES GRAVEyards TOmbs an OTHER wasteLANDS landFILLS SCRAPyards ETC.

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