CT Green Scene

The Green Job Market: Is is stable?

According to a recent job study conducted by the University of California at San Diego, one of the top ten careers is in sustainability. Eventually, all jobs will be green--in one way or another. At least, that's the plan.

In the meantime, it's May and grads will soon be joining the work force. Many of them will have a hard-earned degree in environmental studies. Take this recent article in The Boston Globe about North Shore Community College adding an environmental studies program to their curriculum. They join the ranks of other area colleges and universities like Fairfield University, Yale University, and Connecticut College that already boast of growing environmental programs.

Green Job Growth: What is it? Where is it?

by Anneli C. Olila, Editor-in-Chief of Boston GreenScene / Principal of Olila Documents & Communication Strategies

In my recent discussion of green job hunting myths, I argued against the mystique surrounding the green job industry and the psychological and other barriers this presents to those hoping to transition into a green career.  Responses from readers ranged from disbelief, to hesitant hope, to specific questions regarding qualifications and resources. In this article, I start to provide some data that may be useful to readers in understanding the projected growth of the green job market and where they might fit in.

What Do We Mean by 'the Green Job Market is Growing'?

According to the United States President's Council of Economic Advisers (CEA), green jobs are everywhere, and the growth of the green job market is anticipated to continue to outstrip the growth of other markets. In its July 2009 report, the CEA cited data compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) showing projected growth in environmentally-related occupations to be 38% more than all other occupations combined by 2016. This is depicted in the following figure, reproduced from page 8 of their report:

To put this into perspective, it is worth noting that the occupations they considered were actually in a fairly limited range.  Specifically, the BLS projections drawn from in the CEA report are based on data for the following occupations only:

Squashing Some Green Job Hunting Myths

by Anneli C. Olila, Editor-in-Chief of Boston GreenScene / Principal of Olila Documents & Communication Strategies

Each week, I spend hours talking to job seekers of all levels—from those just graduating from school to highly-experienced C-level executives. Many are contemplating a green career, either out of their passion for the environment or simply because other markets are tight and the green market shows promise. Often, what I hear is a fatigued and resigned voice on the other end of the phone saying, “I’d love to join a green company, but they all want you to already have vast experience in the green industry.” 

When anyone, let alone a top-level, international, well-accomplished executive, says this to me in the midst of cataloging his or her milestone achievements—such as dramatically increasing revenue, efficiency, and organizational prestige; adeptly handling countless mergers and acquisitions; building exceptional cross-cultural and cross-functional teams; applying proven project management and Six Sigma skills; and achieving numerous patented inventions across regulatory environments—I am astonished. I am astonished as editor-in-chief of a green information portal, and I am astonished as a communications specialist who works closely with companies, schools, recruiters, and job seekers. I am also astonished just as a thinking person. There is an apparent and unfortunate mystique built around the green industry—and, frankly, around the job search industry itself—that is completely unwarranted.

Governor Rell: $4 Million in Stimulus Funds to Help Homeowners ‘Go Solar’ With Hot Water Systems

Businesses Also Eligible for Solar Thermal Grants

Via Debra Caviness

Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced the state is dedicating $4 million in federal stimulus funds to help homeowners and businesses pay for the installation of solar-powered hot water heating systems, an investment that will lower utility bills and promote the use of alternative fuels.

“I am proud of Connecticut’s leadership in promoting and using greener, cleaner technology,” Governor Rell said. “This incentive will help hundreds of families and businesses make the switch to renewable energy by saving them money on installation costs and ultimately their hot water bills. It would also be a much-needed boost in business for those who sell and install these systems.”

The new Solar Thermal Incentive Program is part of the comprehensive State Energy Plan that has qualified for $38 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). The broad-based plan includes programs that:

    * Provide incentives to use alternative energy in homes and businesses;
    * Expand fuel cell initiatives;
    * Make state buildings more energy efficient;
    * Create green collar jobs needed for emerging technologies.

The incentive program will be administered by the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund (CCEF), a ratepayer fund that promotes, develops and invests in clean energy resources for the benefit of Connecticut’s electric ratepayers.

CCEF officials say there is enough funding available to support installations of 600 residential solar heating systems and about 120 non-residential systems. The systems can supply up to 80 percent of a customer’s annual hot water needs.

Websites to Find a Green Job

By Heather Burns-DeMelo

It's no surprise that with so many people out of work and looking for work that supports their values, lots of people are hoping to find a "green job".

And with clean tech having surpassed all others as the number one in world wide investments, sectors that support a sustainable future are clearly poised to grow. We've rounded up a few websites to help in your search. Good luck!

http://www.bsr.org/resources

http://www.idealist.org/en/career/career.html

http://www.stopdodo.com/

http://ecoemploy.com/ (USA)

http://www.ejobs.org/states/ctgov.html

http://www.ecojobs.com/

http://www.ejobs.org/

Who Says Green Is More Expensive?

Via GREENBIZ.COM

NORWALK, Conn. -- Xerox last week unveiled its new ColorQube 9200 multifunction printer, a machine that uses a combination of innovations to reduce waste by 90 percent, cuts energy use and emissions by 10 percent, all while saving nearly two-thirds the costs of traditional color printing.

Using solid ink rather than ink cartridges is one key way the company cuts down on waste; the ColorQube 9200 is also designed to print more than 55,000 pages from a single ink block before needing to be changed.

The Xerox ColorQube 9200.

But beyond the in-office waste, the company estimates that the 9200 series will use 9 percent less energy throughout its lifecycle and produce 10 percent fewer greenhouse gases than a similar laser printer.

The printer also features a high-tech "Intelligent Ready" system that monitors work and usage patterns, which can allow the machine to detect if there are regular lulls in activity, for instance during the lunch hour. During these times, the printer will automatically switch into a power-saving mode, and will automatically power back up as employees get back to work.

The ColorQube 9200 is just the latest of Xerox's green initiatives: last year, the company announced plans to produce energy-efficient toner and submitted nearly a dozen eco-patents to the Eco-Patents Commons.

The new printer is available immediately in North America, and will be rolled out across the rest of the globe starting in September 2009.

Article from GreenBiz.com