CT Green Scene

6th Annual Global Environmental Sustainability Symposium: Transportation, Human Mobility, and Sustainability at CCSU

April 4th, 2013

9:45 AM-7:15 PM 

FREE, Registration Required

Central Connecticut State University

New Britain, Connecticut

The CCSU Global Environmental Sustainability Action Coalition invites the public to learn and to teach one another about the actions that we, as human beings, must take to ensure that we live in such a way that we are able to satisfy our needs while ensuring that our children and grandchildren will be able to satisfy their own. The symposium will offer 3 classes, two performances, a panel discussion, a tour, and an optional attendance at the town meeting, as well as opening and closing notes from distinguished professionals in sustainability. This event is FREE: anyone can register online to show up. *Exhibitor tables are still open.

Schedule

9:45-10:00 AM: Symposium opening and welcome with Dr. Charles Button and Dr. Jack Miller (tentative) at Alumni Hall

10:00-10:45: Transportation, Migration, and Sustainability in Four Worlds Alumni Hall

Dr. John Kelmelis expands upon a possibility raised by the United States National Intelligence Council when they published Global Trends 2030: Alternative World. This work explores four very possible future worlds. Dr. Kelmelis will explain what each of these worlds might mean for our future as well as what strategies we might use to make the most of each circumstance at the local, regional, national, and global levels. 

11:00-11:45: Panel Discussion: Electric Cars and Alternative Vehicles Alumni Hall

The president of the New England Electric Auto Association (Dave Oliveria), an environmental writer and speaker (Jim Motavalli), the Senior Associates Autos Editor for Consumer Reports (Eric Evarts), and a natural gas car owner (Joe Booth) all come together in one place to talk about the real value that hybrid, extended hybrid, and electric vehicles hold. This is a special opportunity to discover what users and reviewers genuinely think about these alternative vehicles.

12:00-1:45 (*with second free registration): Water Wars Performance and Lunch Alumni Hall

While you enjoy your lunch, the Sonia Plumb Dance Company will be performing Water Wars. This is an emotionally charged piece of art that exposes the very important and very tenuous relationship that human beings have with one of our primary sources of life: water.

Green Jobs really are working

With the second round of presidential debates scheduled for this evening, one topic that probably won't get a lot of air time is green jobs. A shame since, according to this op-ed in the Huffington Post, job growth in the green industry has grown more than in other industries. Those states that have more green jobs fared better during the downturn. Green jobs are manufacturing-heavy and add a boost to the working middle class. See the excerpt below.

What's Really Happening With Green Jobs
Jeremy Hays
Posted: 10/15/2012 4:56 pm

Green jobs are one of America's best-kept secrets, but they shouldn't be. When you consider the fact that at least 3.1 million Americans already work in green jobs, and that green industries and businesses can help solve some of our country's biggest problems -- from pollution to poverty and economic stagnation -- you'd think we'd be hearing our leaders talk about green jobs all the time.

A new report released last week by the Economic Policy Institute takes a close look at green jobs data, and finds that the growth and benefits of the green economy are even stronger than we previously thought. Among the report's findings:

Green industries are growing faster than the overall economy. Clean energy jobs have grown nearly two-and-a-half times as fast as jobs in the rest of the economy.

States with green jobs fared better during the economic downturn. In general, the greener a state's economy is, the better it has done in the recession.

Green jobs are manufacturing-heavy. Roughly one-fifth of all green jobs are in manufacturing. That's important because we desperately need manufacturing jobs -- America has lost roughly 5.5 million jobs in manufacturing since 2000.

Green jobs create pathways into the middle class. Jobs in the green economy tend to require less formal education than jobs in the rest of the economy, while paying better wages. And that's an excellent formula for creating pathways out of poverty. The EPI report underscores just how well green jobs perform in this area. It finds that for every one percentage point increase in the green intensity of a given industry, there is a corresponding .28 percentage point increase in the share of jobs in that industry held by workers without a four-year college degree. That's important. When Americans who can't afford college can still land a healthy, family-supporting job, it means more opportunity for more people. That benefits us all.

To read more, click here.

Where are the green jobs?

In yesterday's New York Times, David Brooks' Op-Ed takes a look at jobs in the green industry. What in years past has been considered a market for growth, it is now just viewed as a disappointment. The Obama administration has been abysmal in keeping those promises made about growing green jobs, and many are angered by it. His approval rating has yet once again hit another low. (According to The Atlantic, his rating is over 50% and not the first time he's been in a slump.) Not a good sign going into the next election. Should we stop looking at this industry as the Great Green Hope? See the excerpt below:

Where the Jobs Aren’t
By DAVID BROOKS
Published: September 5, 2011

"A study by McKinsey suggests that clean energy may produce jobs for highly skilled engineers, but it will not produce many jobs for U.S. manufacturing workers. Gordon Hughes, formerly of the World Bank and now an economist at the University of Edinburgh, surveyed the landscape and concluded: “There are no sound economic arguments to support an assertion that green energy policies will increase the total level of employment in the medium or longer term when we hold macroeconomic conditions constant.”

Many of the most celebrated green tech companies are foundering despite lavish public support. Evergreen Solar, the recipient of tens of millions of dollars in state support, moved its manufacturing facility to China before filing for bankruptcy protection.

The U.S. Department of Energy poured $535 million in loans into Solyndra, a solar panel maker backed by George Kaiser, a major Democratic donor.

The Government Accountability Office discovered that Solyndra had been permitted to bypass required steps in the government loan guarantee process. The Energy Department’s inspector general criticized the department for not maintaining e-mails that discussed how the loan guarantee winners were chosen.

Late last month, Solyndra announced that it was ceasing operations, laying off its 1,100 employees. The Department of Energy placed the wrong bet, potentially losing the taxpayers half-a-billion dollars.

All of this is not to say that the government shouldn’t be doing what it can to promote clean energy. It is to say that the government isn’t very good when it tries to directly create private-sector jobs."

Click here to read more.

Image courtesy of www.thevividedge.com.

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.

Tool Belt Recession

by Eileen Weber

A plumber was called to a neurosurgeon’s house to fix a leaky faucet. After a few minutes, the plumber finished and gave the neurosurgeon the bill. The total was $150.

A little hot under the collar, the neurosurgeon exclaimed, 'I don't even get this much as an hourly rate!"

The plumber replied, "I didn't either when I was a surgeon. That's why I became a plumber."

Cute. But not necessarily accurate. Plumbers, electricians, and builders alike have all been hit hard with the recession. And, it looks like it may take a while before that changes.

According to a recent press release from the Center for American Progress, Connecticut’s construction industry has been reeling since December, 2008. While reports that the economy is starting to percolate, there are many who aren’t feeling any financial impact. With the national unemployment rate peaking at 10%, the unemployment rate for construction, both commercial and residential, is more than double.

The statistics are alarming: The unemployment rate for experienced workers in construction was 24.7 percent in January 2010; Total construction payroll employment has dropped by 2.1 million jobs since 2006, with residential construction down by 1.3 million, or 38%; For 2009, 12.4 percent of all unemployed workers were previously employed in the construction industry; There have been 134,000 jobs lost (10%) in construction-related retail, such as building supply stores and lumber yards, since December 2007, with 186,000 lost (14%) since July 2006.

Bridgeport Looking At Green Jobs

While the economy still leaves a little bit to be desired, things are starting to look up. And, the green industry is right there keeping up with the Joneses. In two years, 350 Bridgeport residents are expected to be trained for jobs geared toward the environment. It is hoped that this will bring employment to an area that really needs it, Connecticut Post reports.

Green-Up kicks off in Bridgeport
Connecticut Post
By Rob Varnon, STAFF WRITER
Published: 09:13 p.m., Monday, January 25, 2010

The WorkPlace Inc. has $4 million and 24 months to get green jobs for 350 Bridgeport residents living in neighborhoods that have been hardest hit by the recession.

"The green revolution is here in the nick of time," Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch said during a meeting to kick off the Green-Up Bridgeport program.

Finch introduced the program, which The WorkPlace will run, and explained the need for it to 33 people attending the first organizational meeting at the City Hall Annex.

Funded through a competitive federal grant won by The WorkPlace, the region'a work-force development board, the program will have to educate and train at least 500 residents in basic jobs skills that can be used to do work that is environmentally friendly. Then, within two years, at least 350 graduates of the program must have landed jobs and 275 of them must be employed for a minimum of 180 days.

To read more, click here.

For previous articles on this site about green jobs, click here.

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.

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/

Green Demolitions has 2 jobs in Norwalk CT

Via Fairfield County Jobs

Warehouse Foreman. Green Demolitions, Norwalk, CT has an immediate warehouse foreman opening.

Required skills include: Heavy moving, retail store setup, and inventory control. Minimum 2-4 years work experience. Seeking energetic team player with good computer and multi-task skills. E-mail resume to Noel Grabill, Store Manager atnoel@greendemolitions.com. Please no phone calls or drop-ins. Retail Sales. Green Demolitions, Norwalk, CT has an immediate retail sales opening. Must have 3-5 years sales experience with proven tract record and great references. Seeking energetic team player with good computer, phone and multi-task skills. E-mail resume to Noel Grabill, Store Manager at noel@greendemolitions.com. Please no phone calls or drop-ins.

Stamford Man Launches 5milliongreenjobs.com

by Heather Burns-DeMelo

Anyone want one? If yes, in what sector? Which fields interest you most? Will you look for green jobs in the areas that interest you, or those you've identified as best poised to grow?

Will you venture off on your own and start a new eco-conscious business; green up your existing company; or follow the green business trends so you know which large companies to approach in the months to come?

Will you be willing to go to school for additional training or education? Do you know where to look for training and certification programs?

Do you feel prepared to look for a job and sell yourself to companies looking for green professional? Why or why not?

Tell us about your green job hunt..and/or join hundreds of others networking sustainable business.

Putting the Green Back into the Economy

by Eileen Weber

I certainly don’t have to tell you that the economy is bleak. We hear it every day in the news. More Americans are waiting and hoping for the economic downturn to smile in the other direction.

But the environment is one industry that continues to grow despite what happens on Wall Street. If it’s green, it’s growing. President Barack Obama has even carved out a nice section of his stimulus package to incorporate green jobs. With that kind of support, the trend may only continue.

In a New York Times article dated March 23rd, Heather Burns-DeMelo, the Executive Director of the Connecticut Alliance for Sustainable Enterprise and the Editor for this web site, said we should expect to see an increase in “green collar jobs” with the boost in environmental training and education.

State Seeks Solar Strategist to Draft Long-Term Plan

Connecticut Clean Energy Fund – LONG-TERM SUSTAINABLE SOLAR STRATEGY STUDY
August 21, 2008

The Connecticut Clean Energy Fund (CCEF) is seeking proposals from experienced consultants and/or organizations with in-depth knowledge of the solar energy industry, including measurement and evaluation models and strategic means by which to develop a Long-Term Sustainable Solar Strategy.

Proposals are due by 3:00 p.m. on September 25, 2008. If you have questions regarding this RFP, please send an e-mail to info@ctcleanenergy.com. All questions, and subsequent responses, will be posted on the CCEF’s Web site at www.ctcleanenergy.com.

Green Jobs, Green Jobs, Green Jobs

We've made a modest attempt at listing green jobs in Connecticut with that little widget on the right hand side bar, and from the number of email inqueries we receive, it's clear that lots of you are out there looking.

So...here's a wee roundup:

Vertrue, with offices located in Norwalk has at least a half dozen positions open.

The Stamford Nature Center needs a Head of Media Relations and Marketing. Contact Kate Combs, 203-977-6522. kcombs@stamfordmuseum.org.

Early Childhood Educators needed in totally green facility in Stamford.

Sustainable Business has the following positions listed:

-Solar Installer, Milford

-Green Building/Sustainability Consultants, Norwalk

-PV Sales, Milford

-Environmental Engineer, Farmington

Wake Up. Work. Go to GreenDrinks.

Thanks to everyone for a GREAT January GreenDrinks at Pirate! We'll see you all next month at the Westport Arts Center. Renowned chef and author Michel Nischan will speak about sustainability in Connecticut. Enjoy tasty treats by The Mindful Chef. Admission: $15. Space is limited; please RSVP.

Companies and organizations represented at Fairfield County GreenDrinks:

AKF Engineers
AllGreen Magazine
Catch a Healthy Habit
CBIA
Center for Green Building
Connecticut Fund for the Environment
CT Coalition for Environmental Justice
CT Friends School
CT GreenScene
E Magazine
EarthPlace
Eco-chick
Energy Independence Now
Environmental Innovations Group
Fairfield Winter Market
Great Green Race
Green Home Solutions
Greenburbs
iPark
JRT Design
Kathleen Richards Makeup Artist
Letters from a Small State
Maritime Aquarium
Mercury Solar
Morgan Stanley
National R/E Sources
NaturalAwakenings
Natural Neighborhood
Organic Vintages
Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects
Pirate
RD Weis
Reforest the Tropics
Shape Construction and Design
Smith Barney
Solar Wrights
Sterling Planet
Steven Winters and Associates
The Daily Green
The Dressing Room
The Mindful Chef
The New York Times
Topline Marketing
Voltaic Systems
Walders Business Interiors
Wendy Carlson Photography
Westport Magazine
WSHU