Green Options » job

De-jobbing America: Unraveling the Employment Economy

John Ivanko — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 19:09:32 +0000

There’s just too much emphasis on “getting a job” these days.

Okay, so we’re at nearly 10 percent unemployment nationally (if you believe the Federal numbers), so many people are without a steady stream of bi-monthly paychecks. Yet, 90 percent of Americans who had a job when the economy tanked, still do. But for some that means being a wage serf, cubicle clone or working in the Dilbert world of dysfunctional corporate America – working hard to make someone else richer (and often, with ecological impacts). There’s too many CEO bonuses and none for the employees who clean the counters, work on the assembly lines (ideally making hybrid vehicles), or take care of customers. The vast majority of education system continues to be committed to helping people find jobs, not make a sustainble life, especially one that doesn’t destroy the planet or exploit people (though more are starting “sustainability curricula”).

What we need is less of an emphasis on transforming less-green jobs to more-green jobs for the plethora of job seekers. There’s nothing wrong with getting a job (there are a few great companies, some that even offer employee ownership and stock, in addition to addressing the development needs of their workforce).

But if you want to gain an upper hand on life, more self-employed or self-owned enterprises are discovered that you can keep more of your hard-earned money by working for yourself. As I write about in ECOpreneuring, doing so allows you to also reinvest our profits in ways that either restore the planet and/or improve the well being of people living in our community, nation and planet. These businesses have a triple bottom line and many have ditched the commute to some office, working, instead, from a home office.

Do you Live to Work? Ecopreneurs Use their Green Business to Make a Life.

John Ivanko — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 12:35:34 +0000

Life offers more than a paycheck, corner office and promotional title.

In fact, many of us are working ourselves to death. Less than 40 percent of working Americans actually take all the vacation time that they’re offered, and many who do have a hard time disconnecting from the office, voicemail and e-mail. Added to this are the hours each week we spend commuting, wasting time and polluting the environment unless you’re fortunate to be able to walk or bike to work.

For many years, I let myself be defined by what I owned and the company I worked for (at a big advertising agency, of all places). For many people, their identity is so closely associated with their job that when they stop working, they end up passing away not long afterwards, lacking hobbies, social connections or life purpose. But what it says on a business card says nothing about our passions, interests, talents or aspirations.

A shift in perspective is underway, from desiring a standard of living defined by possessions and financial wealth to a quality of life defined by experiences and genuine well-being. For many people, maintaining their high standard of living contributes to their poor quality of life, not to mention often contributing to the destruction of the planet.

Green Options is looking for Writers

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 18:09:42 +0000

While we're quite happy with the team of writers we have on board, we could use a couple more. If you're a writer or blogger with a passion for green living, and can commit to daily blog posts (6 per week), we'd be interested in talking to you.

When we launch, we want to publish 8-10 quality blog posts per day that inform and enlighten our readers about the wide world of green living. Our bloggers do have areas of focus, but there's lots of room for branching out.

We're looking for writers with a lively style, and a command of the facts on their chosen topics. We want writers who can communicate sometimes complex ideas to readers who may be fairly new to green ideas. Experience, particularly with online writing and/or blogging, is good, but not necessary: we're certainly willing to nurture the right person. The main requirements are solid writing abilities, and the ability to communicate your passion about the green life. We will pay you for your efforts.

Interested? Questions? Email or private message me. Quill pen not required.

UPDATE: Wow! Thanks to all of you that have expressed interest in blogging for us — and I do mean all of you! I'm in the process of responding to inquiries — if you haven't heard from me yet, you will. Because we've received many excellent inquiries, I'm going to close this offer for now. I'm sure, though, that we'll be looking for writers again in the near future.

Also, if you're interested in contributing entries to the Green Living Wiki, please feel free to contact me.