Green Options » green careers

Greening Children in Michigan

Heidi Suydam — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:40:35 +0000

Today NPR News aired a story about a rural Michigan school district that is pursuing green by using wind turbines to power their schools and offices. The Jr. High Principal, Kathy Dickens, took the initiative three years ago by applying for grants to pursue wind harvesting. As a result of her efforts The Lakers School District was awarded a quarter million dollar grant from the Michigan Public Service Commission.

With that money they purchased three large refurbished wind turbines which now power their elementary school and the superintendent’s office. They have since received another grant and energy smart incentives. The Lakers School District now owns a biodiesel processor in addition to their wind turbines. This spring their high school students will have a “Pressing Party”. They will gather sunflower seeds from the plants growing beneath their wind turbines, combine them with soybeans then press these seeds and beans to obtain oil to make alternative fuel.

Why is this political? This is our future. The students in this community are learning first hand about creating alternate energy sources. Reportedly the students in the Lakers School district are interested in pursuing green in their community and careers. Teaching our children to be good stewards of our land and resources is the future of our country’s economy and security. Beyond politics and Washington, American citizens pursuing energy independence is what will catapult this movement and make a difference.

Photo Credit: Beufort Scale 5 on flickr

The State of Green Jobs

Carol McClelland — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 09:22:09 +0000

If you are trying to plug into the green economy as a business owner or a green employee, I encourage you to read Kevin Doyle's recent Hire Definition [1] post on the GRIST blog. Kevin Doyle, the president of Green Economy, a Boston-based training, consulting, and research firm and coauthor of The ECO Guide to Careers That Make a Difference: Environmental Work for a Sustainable World, provides us with the best "State of the Green Job" summary I've seen. If you are looking for clear-cut data about the number of green jobs and which industries provide the most green jobs, you are likely to be a bit frustrated by Kevin's assessment of green employment. Much like the recent GreenBiz's State of Green Business [2] report I wrote about recently [3], Kevin's post highlights more questions than it answers. The fact is the green economy is too new to quantify in any meaningful way. Not having clearly understood definitions of the variables that need to be measured is the biggest obstacle to solid statistics. There's no agreed upon definition of terms such as green career, green job, or green collar job There's no agreed upon standard to determine whether a company is green or an industry is green. It's becoming clear that companies within the same industry may have different degrees of impact on the environment based on the technology and processes they are using. As time progresses, the infrastructure of the green economy will take shape. We'll eventually know how to categorize jobs, define terms, and measure the impact a job or a company has on the environment. In the meantime, we are where we are. The bad news is that no clear map exists to show you how to get a green job. There's no way to predict where green industries are going to be in three years, five years, or ten years. There are no established career paths to follow. The good news is that opportunities abound in an economy that's just taking form. Those who are observant and willing to step forward before the path is completely clear are likely to reap rewards. The key to success is having the ability to solve problems and find untapped opportunities. I agree with Kevin's advice to the job seeker. Don't wait for crystal clear definitions and well thought out statistics. Begin your quest for your green career now. I'll take the advice one step further. Use your own passions and interests to fuel your quest. Immerse yourself in the industry that interests you most. Prepare yourself by reading, interviewing, listening, and doing as much as you can in your target field. Leverage your personal career history by applying your expertise to help your profession/industry move in a green direction. Your expertise will help you see the opportunities that you are well-positioned to solve. [1] http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2008/2/19/155825/434 [2] http://www.stateofgreenbusiness.com [3] http://sustainablog.org/2008/02/07/greenbizcoms-take-on-the-state-of-green-business/#more-2727

Popular Science Highlights America’s 50 Greenest Cities

Carol McClelland — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 22:34:39 +0000

Drawing from US Census Data and National Geographic Society’s Green Guide that collected data on thirty characteristics for American cities over 100,000 people, Popular Science create a list of America's 50 Greenest Cities. [1] Combining the data into four categories (electricity, transportation, green building/spaces, recycling), Popular Science determined green scores (see article for details) for the various cities and identified the cities who are at the forefront. The top ten cities are: Portland, OR; San Francisco, CA; Boston, MA; Oakland, CA; Eugene, OR; Cambridge, MA; Berkeley, CA; Seattle, WA; Chicago, IL; Austin, TX. If you enjoy a visual, an industrious blogger from Austin TX placed all of the data on a map [2] for easy viewing. I found this list to be an interesting resource for people who are looking for green careers, start a green business, or grow their green business. The map of the greenest cities confirms a geographic pattern I've been seeing on other sites - compare the Greenest Cities map [3] with Cool Cities [4]and Focus the Nation [5] events. Most people I talk to are looking for green careers in their local area. With these three maps, people will get a better idea of the green potential in their area. (Don't panic if your city isn't listed....I'll have more to say about that below.) The scores on the four green variables tell us what each city has been focusing on. This information could provide helpful clues to someone trying to find a way into the local green economy. The scores also tell us where there are gaps in each city. Although you'd need to do some research to understand the political climate and related issues, the low scores may point to potential business opportunities. Six case studies [6]highlight some of innovative tactics greenest cities are implementing to reach their green goals. Take a look at these scenarios to see if your creativity is sparked! The fact that the 1st city has an overall score of 23 out 30 and the 50th city has a score of 10 out of 30 shows that there's much more room for improving even our greenest cities! The momentum shows cities are taking this on, which is great news! The fact that opportunities exist means there's going to be plenty of green careers as we move forward. If your geographic area doesn't seem to be moving in the green direction, you have several choices. You can move. You now have a fairly objective map of the areas that are greening faster than others. Reach out to those in your area who are passionate about sustainability and eliminating greenhouse gases. Drill down in the Cool Cities map and the Focus the Nation map to find like minded people in your area. Volunteer to help these groups take root in your area. Another place you may find others who share your values is the Land Trust Alliance [7]. If you don't find any established groups, take an active role by jumping in to start the green movement in your area. Both Cool Cities and Focus the Nation have established infrastructures to help you get started. They'll guide you each step of the way. Whether you are new to an area or you've been a resident for decades, connecting to your local green network is a critical piece of your successful career search. Remember it's all in who you know! Becoming an active player in the green movement is one of the best ways I know to get connected. Since joining my city's green task force, I've been astounded by how I've extended my network of elected officials, dedicated volunteers who also own green businesses, and potential clients who are looking for green careers. Furthermore I know more about my city's green goals and initiatives, which means I can make a difference close to home. [1] http://www.popsci.com/environment/article/2008-02/americas-50-greenest-cities?page=1 [2] http://inspiredaustin.com/blog/2008/02/austin-among-top-10-greenest-cities/ [3] http://inspiredaustin.com/blog/2008/02/austin-among-top-10-greenest-cities/ [4] http://coolcities.us/ [5] http://www.focusthenation.org [6] http://www.popsci.com/environment/gallery/2008-02/how-americas-greenest-cities-got-green [7] http://www.ltanet.org/findlandtrust/

What’s Hot in CleanTech

Carol McClelland — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 05:39:49 +0000

Editor’s note: We’re pleased to have Carol McClelland, founder of Green Career Central, join sustainablog as a weekly columnist on green careers. Carol’s columns will appear every Thursday.

As a green career consultant, one of the questions I hear most frequently is what’s hot in cleantech? In greentech? In renewable energy?

Although I can give green career changers my impression, I always encourage them to connect with experts in their fields of choice to understand the hottest trends and future directions. In my mind, those who live, breathe, and work in a field are going to know much more than someone looking at it from the outside.

Recently I clicked on a link from Inside Cleantech by the Cleantech Group to discover a gold mine of information for green job seekers who are getting up to speed on cleantech.

The Cleantech Group, a membership organization of investors, cleantech companies and organizations, has tracked the cleantech sector to discover business opportunities for investment purposes. Given the dollars they have on the line, I’m willing to bet they’ve put everything they’ve got behind their research.

They’ve created keyword clouds that can show you at a glance what they consider to be hot!

If you are searching for hot industries take a look at the largest words in this cloud. Then take a second look at the words that are at the next largest size. These are the industry sectors that are also worth tracking.
If you are researching hot companies, scan this list of companies the Cleantech Group has written about since 2006. You will no doubt recognize some of the hottest companies. You’ll also find companies you haven’t heard about yet.

No matter which cloud you explore, click through on the items that interest you and you’ll find the list of articles related to the corresponding key word. Use these articles to get a detailed understanding of what is happening in that industry or company.

By the way, if you would like to learn more about the industries associated with cleantech, read their informative explanation.