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What is a
Green-Collar Job and Where Can I Get
One?
By
Jean-Luc Marcoux
There is a lot of talk in the media about
"green-collar" jobs, the road to recovery and
renewed prosperity through such jobs. Hundreds
of thousand of unemployed workers are asking
themselves two questions: What is a
"green-collar" job? And where can I get one?
According to Lucy Blake of the Apollo Alliance;
which is helping to transition the economy from
fossil fuels to renewable energy: "A
green-collar job is, in essence, a blue-collar
job that has been upgraded to address the
environmental challenges of our country".
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© Copyright 2009
D.Alan Carter
Green jobs. Ready or not, here they come.
Environmentally conscious designs and
technology are driving a growing share of the
U.S. economy. Why now? Call it a perfect storm
of social enlightenment and...
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By
Lisa Jenkins
"With the green revolution now a part of the
mainstream consciousness, Americans are not
only seeing the benefits of green energy and
technology, but also the benefits of green
jobs. Across the American business and
industrial landscape, new employment
opportunities are emerging..."
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more...
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By
Lisa Jenkins
"This is the right time to be searching for
a green collar job, because the world is
investing heavily into the environmental
sciences... But getting a job in this 'green'
niche isn't easy without the right kind of
college degree. Here are the top college degree
programs for people interested in getting on
the green train..."
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more...
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By
Michelle
Wright
"While the future of many industries is
uncertain right now, the green initiatives in
President's Obama's stimulus package, LEED
certified construction projects, and the push
for renewable energy sources will create green
collar jobs... Here are a few areas of
opportunity..."
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more...
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In reality "green-collar jobs" are old blue-collar jobs lost in
the past six months across all industries; that are being
created in new green industries such as clean energy(solar,
wind turbines) or sustainable development-focused companies.
The reason these jobs are so important to the new economy is
two-fold. First they are an integral part of the stimulus
package put forward by the Obama administration focused on
infrastructure and construction. From winterizing home and
providing better insulation to installing solar panels
electrician, plumbers and carpenters become "green economy"
workers.
According to Van Jones - founder of the Ella Baker Center
for Human Rights and of the Oakland (Calif.) Apollo Alliance
and who also advises President Barack Obama on green jobs -
green-collar jobs are manual-labor jobs that can't be
outsourced. "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," Jones said in a recent New York
Times interview. "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."
The second reason has to do with the new "Energy Technology"
revolution. The environmental and energy challenges will be
around long after we are out of this recession and into a
strong recovery. There is a "Triple E" crisis with the Economy,
Environment and Energy creating the perfect storm. Green-collar
jobs are important to get us out of the Economy crisis but will
be critical to meet the challenges facing the Environment and
Energy crisis. The opportunities offered by a greener economy
focused on sustainable development are numerous and span many
industries. It is all about energy efficiency, better
management of resources from waste to manufacturing with a
closed-loop approach.
Green-collar jobs are being created as we speak with
entrepreneurs finding opportunities in the new economy based on
sustainable development. From the auto industry with
hybrid-technology cars to carpets made with recycled materials
green products need green-collar workers to make them.
Opportunities abound for eco-innovation in a world where
consumers are becoming greener. The challenge is for everyone
to become a little greener and to seek and buy eco-products
which will in turn create green jobs.
J.Luc Marcoux is the founder and
managing director of EverQuest Design Inc, an eco-marketing
agency specializing in green and eco-products. J.Luc Marcoux
works with clients such as Cirque du Soleil and CBS to create
unique eco-friendly and green products and services.
You can contact him by email at r3reducereuserecycle@gmail.com
To find out more about original eco product ideas visit
http://www.everquestdesign.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jean-Luc_Marcoux
http://EzineArticles.com/?What-is-a-Green-Collar-Job-and-Where-Can-I-Get-One?&id=2225037

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