Techdiplomacy

On Saturday December 8, 2008, I posted “Green Jobs An Idea whose Time Has Come”. In the post I explained green jobs and what the term meant. Due to the number of questions I get about the subject, I will clarify the matter with the following text. In the meantime, please take a look at the post I mentioned earlier. You can locate it in the archive for December.

Phil Angelides, chairman of the Apollo Alliance, was interviewed by Time Magazine in 2008 before the presidential election. He gave his thoughts concerning the subject. He included green collar jobs, cleaning up the environment, controling global warming and creating a new type of employment. Some of the most prestigious universities have done significant work involving perfecting renewable energy’s mainstays, wind and solar power, thereby increasing the potential for creation of green jobs. There has been significant work in the private sector by research institutions and the academic community in general. The ‘thinktank’ RAND Corporation, University of Tennessee and others have found that if 25% of all American energy were produced from renewable sources by 2025, we would generate at least 5 million new green jobs. Today, I’ll try to explain what is a green-collar job? Where could you find those jobs ? Phil Angelides is the chair of the Apollo Alliance as well, a coalition of business, labor and environmental groups trying to bring green employment to the forefront. This is the way Mr Angelides defined green jobs in the interview by Time, “It has to pay decent wages and benefits that can support a family. It has to be part of a real career path, with upward mobility. And it needs to reduce waste and pollution and benefit the environment.” If you make wind turbines or solar panels, your job is green. Mr. Angelides and his groups are trying to broaden the definition of ‘green job’. They would like a green-collar job to be anything that helps America to a cleaner, energy efficient future. That means jobs in the public transit sector, jobs in green building, jobs in energy efficiency, traditional, blue-collar manufacturing jobs, as long as what you’re making is green. “You don’t want to greenwash,” says Angelides. “You don’t want to call something a green-collar job that doesn’t have the wages or background to support it.” Environmental groups like the Apollo Alliance say that the new green American economy will actually create millions of new jobs. Someone will produce alternative power, increase energy efficiency and overhaul wasteful buildings. Angelides notes that between now and 2030, 75% of the buildings in the U.S. will either be new or substantially rehabilitated. Our inefficient, and unstable electrical grid will be overhauled. The jobs that will go into that kind of work should be green-collar. “Green jobs will not only exist in new technology fields” like solar energy, says Angelides, whose group is calling for a $300 billion investment in green jobs over the next 10 years. “We’ll be creating jobs in the industrial sector.” One of the supporters of the Apollo Alliance is the United Steelworkers Alliance, labor leaders see green jobs as a way to fight outsourcing and keep manufacturing jobs here in America.
The creation of green-collar jobs can convince skeptical, blue-collar Americans that they have an economic stake in climate change.​

Below is a compilation of definitions with questions to help trigger questions and increase discussion.  The people who compiled these points are too numerous to mention, however they have my thanks. The current “Green Collar Worker” definition at Wikipedia reads,       “A green-collar worker is a worker who is employed in the environmental sectors of the economy, or in the agricultural sector.” Should green collar only cover environmental or agricultural sectors? Is an industry-based approach appropriate? Would a green collar worker be involved with the science of developing technologies that help produce more efficient energy or power systems? Could we develop something more inclusive which provides an indication of intent? Let’s look at a “Green Collar Job” definition. The short radio program, “the Environminute” stated, “Green collar jobs are blue collar jobs that help protect the planet.” A broader definition that seems to be role-based. A role-based approach is good but what if you are merely “conserving or preserving” that planet? What if you are just doing a job that produces little or no waste? Does this definition add confusion by defining something with an ambiguous term like “blue collar.” Will additional research reveal similar problems back in the days of the industrial revolution when folks were trying too define blue-collar worker?  Separately, Wikipedia, defines a Blue Collar worker as, “a member of the working class who performs manual labor and earns an hourly wage.” Is this also too exclusive? Must Green Collar Workers perform jobs which pay hourly? Do Green Collar Workers need to do manual labor to be considered green? RAQUEL PINDERHUGHES, Ph. D. definition in her Green Collar Jobs case study for the city of Berkeley, California states in part, “Green collar jobs are blue collar jobs in green businesses – that is, manual labor jobs in businesses whose products and services directly improve environmental quality (Pinderhughes, 2006).” Does this occupational-based approach to defining “Green Collar Jobs”, exclude folks that work behind a desk on a computer?  What about folks building websites iike this one) which in turn, support green efforts? Could we include folks that invest in “Environmentally-Friendly Portfolios,” as Green Collar Workers? What about salaried, County workers that are researching and implementing sustainability plans? Could politicians that sign and act in accordance with green sustainability pledge during their term in office be considered Green Collar Workers? The UNEP, ILO, ITUC GREEN JOBS INITIATIVE Report and GreenforAll orgnizations shoot a bit higher in their definition of Green Collar Jobs, “Green-collar jobs, as we define them, are wellpaid, career track jobs that contribute directly to preserving or enhancing environmental quality. Like traditional blue-collar jobs, green-collar jobs range from low-skill, entry-level positions to high-skill, higher-paid jobs, and include opportunities for advancement in both skills and wages.” Is the “opportunity for advancement” inclusion important? is this more of an outcome-based approach?  In a more recent report commissioned and funded by UNEP, also as part of the joint UNEP, ILO, IOE, ITUC Green Jobs Initiative you can find this Green Collar Jobs definition,  “We define green jobs as work in agricultural, manufacturing, research and development (R&D), administrative, and service activities that contribute 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.” Should the following questions also be considered when attempting to define the term, “Green Collar Worker” or “Green Collar Jobs” in Hawaii?   1. Should the definition of a Green Collar Worker be different depending on location?  For example, where you live has great impact on the way you work and what you do for work. A Green Colla Worker specializing in water systems might be involved in diverse occupations such as harvesting, treatment, delivery, research and education. We may find differences in impact, skills and success metrics among green workers in sandy deserts vs. the rain forests of Mountain View.   2. 2. Is the context in which you live or work in important to how you personally define a Green Collar Worker? A so-called, “Green Collar” means one thing to a researcher studing photo-voltaics and something potentially different to a farmer using sustainable growing techniques. An educator teaching green design may define a Green Collar Workers differently than a hydropower technician at the local power company. Similar differences in definition might exist between a LEEDS certified building contractor and a web professional using a green data center and energy efficient-coding standards to build online websites. 3. Is an outcomes-based approach the best dtermining factor? The workers intent may have a direct affect on the environment surrounding the worker on and off duty. Should the worker’s past performance be considered? Do commercial hazardous materials handlers have a special responsibility in the context of the environment? Are some workers inclined to be “greener” than others?   Is the term, “Green Collar Worker” a living or still evolving term? Is the definition actually changing as our understanding of a greener, more sustainable planet evolves? A somewhat innate understanding seems to exist. A solid understanding may eventually lead to NAICS job codes but for now local definitions need to exist to facilitate communication.  Know the difference between “Green Collar Jobs” and “Green Collar Workers”, workers are human beings, jobs are not.
This topic, like all the others shown here is open for discussion, make comments and submit questions, we will respond. See you around the galaxy…

The stimulus plan has been passed and there is money for renewable energy resources. However is there enough? We need swift and descisive action. We are in the middle of a crisis of monumentive proportions. This will not solve our problem but it will get us closer to our goal.

The next step in the process is to be certain that the funds are distributed properly. The distribution should Include solar energy, wind turbines, and geothermal energy.

These steps will insure a start to a new energy policy that will provide green jobs and kick start our economy. Write your elected officials today and help get this started.

We are losing ground with regard to our economy and global warming is costing us 3.6% of GDP. We have to do something about the climate changes or lose 3.8 trillion dollars according to a recent report. 

 Global warming is a problem for which we have an answer.  The country need only to switch to clean renewable energy resources.  We could lower CO2 emissions and reduce global warming by 25% of 1990 standards by 2020.  By 2050 we could reduce global warming by 80% of 1990 levels. We are obviously at the end of our time where fossil fuels can be any part of our energy needs.  We face serious losses in our economy and our way of life if the climate changes are not abated. The future can be seriously changed by the change to alternative energy in the form of renewable energy.

There must be a move by private and public investors to invest in wind, solar, and geothermal energy, along with energy efficient buildings, homes, automobiles and appliances.  In Texas, California, Missouri, Michigan, and New Jersey wind farms are being proposed and erected creating new jobs, helping the economic base in those states that are embracing renewable energy and creating new income for landowners and business owners.  

By August of 2008 there were 97 new geothermal projects being developed in 13 states generating 7000 full time permanent  jobs.

Green Jobs have the advantage of usually being the same jobs that the area in which they are located had to begin with.  The jobs are simply upgraded and new descriptions are given to more or less the same job.  The manufacturing skills these individuals have now become the means to creating products to be used to make renewable energy a viable power source and our only power source.  Having been in the power industry, I know that nuclear, coal, and fossil fuel production are not industries that will create new opportunities as they are capital intensive.  The new economy based on renewable energy resources will be labor intensive.

The switch to renewable energy will take action on a large scale from our elected officials.  They must legislate our country into the future or we will not get there.  The right incentives for renewable energy sources must be created and a cap on global warming pollution. (CO²)  There will be new clean renewable energy, high technology to replace our aging fossil fuel system.

The consensus is that converting to clean renewable energy will serve both urban and rural areas.  A study by The University of Tennessee suggests that 5.1 million new jobs in rural areas would be created by the year 2030 if politicians take action now to incentivize the next generation of electricity production. 

 The renewable energy sector alone, which includes wind, solar, and geothermal power, already employs over half a million people nationwide.  The energy efficiency sector includes the automobile, building, appliance and power plant industries.  There are hundreds of thousands employed in these industries.  The problems confronting our country today could literally be solved by embracing alternative energy in the form of renewable energy resourses.  The jobs that would be created would put our people back to work and this in turn would help stabilize the economy. 

We are in need of a new grid to transmit electrical power using digital technology whether or not we switch to renewable energy sources.  We are obliged to create this new grid and it makes the time for the move away from fossil fuels now.  A switch to wind, solar and geothermal power means we save our environment as well as our economy.  Our infrastructure is in serious disrepair.  All of these things need to be addressed immediately, we are simply out of time.  If we are to restore American confidence in our own products and self worth then we should do so by taking the first step.  This first step according to many studies being produced currently is to convert to clean renewable energy resources.

We have the right political outlook now, we have elected a president and a legislative branch that could take the steps necessary to save our environment and our economy now!  We need only to ask our elected officials to pass the legislation needed to bring about change.

The National Renewable Energy Laboritories have recently identified, “inadequate workforce skills and training as one of the primary obstacles to developing energy efficiency and renewable energy”.  We need to fully fund the Green Jobs Act detailed in the 2007 energy bill.  We can train and employ millions of Americans and save our environment as well.  Public job training can reach at risk young people and people who are unemployed and hit the hardest by the current economic crisis.

Green job development can serve the states hit hardest by the economic downturn.  Since 1998 the US has lost 7.2 million jobs to mergers, outsourcing, bankruptcies, automation, globalization and trade policy.  The states that are hit the hardest are home to manufacturing companies and workers who can be trained to produce the renewable energy products that we are importing from Germany and Japan.  These products include wind turbines, solar cells and other green building materials. 

At this moment there are thousands of people involved with many organizations whose main goals are to convert to a clean way to generate electricity and to shut down fossil fuel plants which are leading to ecological ruin.  We should convert to renewable energy resources and start to generate the 5 million jobs that would come from our efforts.  The people who would be the most affected by our inaction would be the poor and disenfranchised.  We have seen what major climate change does to those of our people fellow Americans that are not as well off as others.  We must not accept the status-quo, it is the time for change!