By Sandhya Nag:
Change is the only constant, and changes are occurring at a staggeringly fast pace in today’s world. Why, you ask me? Well, who would have thought that our ways in the world would cause so much imbalance that we’d have to make an increased effort to consciously keep a tab on the effects of the technology we devise on our environment, and also discipline our lifestyle to meet the requirements of restoring ecological balance. That’s where Green jobs come into the picture.
What are green jobs, anyway?
“A green job, also called a green-collar job is, according to the United Nations Environment Program, “work in agricultural, manufacturing, research and development (R&D), administrative, and service activities that contribute(s) substantially to preserving or restoring environmental quality. Specifically, but not exclusively, this includes jobs that help to protect ecosystems and biodiversity; reduce energy, materials, and water consumption through high efficiency strategies; de-carbonize the economy; and minimize or altogether avoid generation of all forms of waste and pollution.”
Green Jobs are wide ranged as can be seen from the aforementioned details, and the scope of this market is huge. This will have a huge impact on the economy.
Green jobs must be a part of every country, that doesn’t mean we remain stuck with only agriculture. Individuals must do their best in utilising all resources they have, and it turn, try and make the world a greener place.
Green jobs would help having cleaner fuel production, such as wind energy, solar energy, Bio gas etc. It would create a whole new opportunity for environmental engineers, who can contribute to reducing power consumption, providing alternate energy systems etc. It would also open up a new arena for those involved in water-recycling, plumbing etc. Garbage removals Bournemouth & Poole for example, disposal and recycling would be another issue which can be addressed through green jobs. Green jobs mean making a better renewable energy sector than what is present, and a strong spirit of conscience to be more environment-friendly.
Elucidation in the form of an example: The Carbon credit concept. AÂ carbon credit is a generic term for any tradable certificate or permit representing the right to emit one tonne of carbon dioxide or carbon dioxide equivalent.
10 Awesomely Green Companies
- First Solar: This Company is a leader in the field of solar power. Its revenue in the fourth quarter of 2009 was $641.3 million, according to Wikipedia.
- Hewlett-Packard: The computer company is an industry leader in keeping its technology green. Its computers are completely recyclable, and it operates recycling plants for e-waste created by older machines.
- Hydrogenics: This Company is hopeful about a growing demand for hydrogen power in automobiles. Major car company GM, which owns part of Hydrogenics, is optimistic about its future success.
- Kohl’s: This clothing retailer has the largest solar power program of any retailer in the world, according to Newsweek. It maintains solar panels at over 78 of its locations.
- Nike: The apparel company, which has faced criticism in the past for child labor in its overseas factories, now requires all of its factories worldwide to adhere to written environmental policies. In 2008 it introduced the Nike Trash Talk shoe made of recycled materials.
- Organic Valley: This organic farming cooperative, which gives ownership directly to the farmers, is the largest in the U.S. The long list of awards it has received for its butter, cheese and business practices is available here at Wikipedia.
- Pacific Gas and Electric: Among major American utility companies, PG&E is one of the greenest. 56 percent of its retail electricity sales come from non-greenhouse-gas emitting sources, according to CNN Money.
- Proporta: This manufacturer of screen protectors for gadgets such as the iPod and iPhone has recently introduced cases made of bamboo and recycled leather. The company also ships by land and sea, rather than air, whenever possible to reduce fuel consumption.
- Seattle Biodiesel: This recently founded company aims to produce biodiesel, a fuel alternative made from crops, on a mass scale.
- Starbucks: The coffee giant is committed to having all new stores meet green building standards, as well as using recycled paper for its cups.
List from : http://www.guidetocareereducation.com/tips-and-tools/green-jobs#co#ixzz15HI0upjv
India’s first green job opened in September, 2009. And since then, there’s no looking back. And the current claims are that they are going to invest $150 billion over the span of next ten years. The market is huge. Some have even gone on to claim that Green jobs are the next IT revolution in India. And I strongly support that claim.
Speaking in numbers, a biogas production unit will require a lot more people than what large IT companies require for their functioning. Man-power requirement being huge, this is a win-win situation for both the parties. People might not take up green jobs if they are asked to do so just out of concern for the environment so when jobs like these will fetch them the same money as their other jobs would, there’s no reason for a person to hesitate from doing it.
So far, ecology and economy were always made competing entities, and we have always worked in favour of the economy with a devil-may-care attitude towards the ecology. Now is the chance to bridge that gap because green jobs merge the economy and ecology of a country in a never-seen-before scenario.
Green jobs are the way to go; Green-collared jobs are indeed a notch above our White-collared jobs.
Image courtesy: CarbonNYC