What do we talk about when we talk about green careers?

June 7, 4:09 PMBay Area Green Careers ExaminerMichal Lenchner

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                San Francisco cityscape by photo.net

As the Green Economy is evolving and will continue to develop and grow in the years to come, Green careers are becoming more and more desirable.

What is a green career? A green job?

The terms are relatively new concepts that have evolved in the past 3 years.

The official government definition of a Green Job is:

"Green jobs are jobs that provide products and services which use renewable energy resources, reduce pollution, conserve energy and natural resources and reconstitute waste."

Let's expand the definition:
A green career, also called a green-collar job, is any job in an organization that provides a product or service that allows the reduction of energy use and minimizes harmful environmental impact on the planet.

The emphasize is on ANY JOB.

A green-collar job has the objective of helping the environment directly or indirectly.

You have heard about Green jobs, Green Careers, and Green-Collar. You want to be prepared for the future. You are passionate about a healthy home, a green planet. You would like to be part of the Green economy. You want to be ready with skills, knowledge, experience, and education. But where to start? What to do? Where to look?

Read my pages for insights, resources, tips and fun!

Here is a little bit of history:

   In 2007, the following organizations got together and launched the Green Jobs Initiative:
UNEP- The United Nations Environment Programme - the United Nations authority responsible for environmental issues at the global and regional level, coordination of the development of environmental policy, and mandating international consensus.
ILO - The International Labor Organization - a United Nations agency that deals with labor.
ITUC - The International Trade Union Confederation - the world's largest trade union federation.

   In 2008, the IEO - International Employers Organization, joined the Initiative.

The Green Jobs Act 2007

The Green Jobs Act of 2007, authorized funding to establish national and state job training programs, administered by the U.S. Department of Labor, to help address job shortages that are impairing growth in green industries. The Energy Independence and Security Act passed in December 2007 incorporates the Green Jobs Act of 2007.

   When President Barack Obama took office a few months ago, he appointed a Special Adviser for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation as part of the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). CEQ is a division of the Executive Office of the President that coordinates federal environmental efforts in the U.S., including the development of environmental and energy policies and initiatives.

Green jobs are our future! Get on the zero-emissions wagon and plan your moves NOW.

CAREER POINTERS

Weekly practical tips for green jobs

To get an idea what is "out there" check these websites:
Search by state, city or zip code. You may also brows by company, industry, and type of job, keywords:

Green Pages Directory

Green career connections

Send your tips to me and I will share them on this site.

(above image from green.sympatico.msn.ca)