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.


6th Annual Global Environmental Sustainability Symposium: Transportation, Human Mobility, and Sustainability at CCSU
April 4th, 2013
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.
Continue reading "6th Annual Global Environmental Sustainability Symposium: Transportation, Human Mobility, and Sustainability at CCSU" »
Posted at 03:46 PM in Air Quality, Architecture, Arts, At Home, At Work, Automobiles, Awards, Awareness, Business, Citizen Action, CO2 Sequestration, Commentary, Corporate Social Responsibility, Cycling, Education, Electric Cars, Energy & Resources, Environmental Issues, Events, Fuel, Government, Green Building & Architecture, Green Travel, Health, Jobs, Organizations, People, Politics, Public Transportation, Renewable Energy, Resources, Schools, Science, Technology, Transportation , Urban Planning | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Technorati Tags: Central Connecticut State University, Connecticut, Connecticut State Universities, Exhibits, Free, Free Green Events, Green Connecticut, Green Events, New Britain CT, Sustainability, Sustainability Events, Town Hall