Green Career Central Blog

Green Career Tip - Inspiration from Earth’s Biodiversity

At the Bioneers conference in October, I learned about the launch of two sites that celebrate the Earth’s biodiversity. The hope is that by making people aware of the wisdom and diversity that abounds on Planet Earth that we will not only be more inspired to conserve and protect wildlife and ecosystems, we will also use this wisdom to guide our own inventions and designs as we restructure our world to combat global warming.

Read the whole article to learn more about the Encyclopedia of Life Project and the Ask Nature website.

Green Career Trends: Top 10 Green Jobs for the Future

You may be aware of the large economic stimulus plan being planned by the in-coming Obama administration.  Significant spending by the federal government will cause a hiring boom in several green areas. 

The need for carbon footprint reduction among all businesses will drive demand for green jobs for top and middle skill jobs in most areas of the country. 

In a recent blog post, Green Tech Media offered their list of the top ten green jobs of the future.

1. Construction    Public works spending on retro fitting schools and federal buildings as well as infrastructure improvements to bridges, roads and mass transportation will be one of the drivers of the green economy.  Will the Feds make green a priority by choosing green suppliers to construction projects?  A lot of potential for down the line jobs too.

2. Sustainability Officer  A newly created corporate position.  Companies will need to make choices about how to reduce their carbon footprint as well as make their products and services more green.

3. Biologist   Breeding microorganisms to produce industrial products or for use in agriculture has a good future.

4. Chemist  Finding ways to reuse waste products or to sequester carbon dioxide will make qualified chemists in demand.

5.  Land Use Planner  As the country becomes more urban, planners will make decisions about the future direction of cities and mass transit.

6. Garbage Consultant   As raw materials become more scarce, recycling previously used materials will become a necessity.

7. Interior Designer/Building Operations Manager  If you can design and operate a building to reduce energy usage and thereby save the company money on energy costs, you have a bright future. 

8. Interface Designer  The interface between green products and consumers will grow along with the green economy.  Look for software to be a big player also.

9.  Foot Massager  The need for escape and relaxation in an urban environment will expand beyond massagers.   Entrepreneurs take note, the day spa of the future will not look like the current ones.

10. Food Scientist   How to grow a plentiful food supply organically and locally.  Will vertical farming take off? 

Read more about these ten green career options as Green Media Tech sees them.

Green Career Tip - Green Careers Needed to Combat Effects of Climate Change

Over the weekend I attended a presentation at my local Green Ribbon Citizens’ Committee meeting about the global and local effects of global warming. As I listened, it occurred to me that some effects are getting more exposure than others, and yet all of the effects have a direct link to various green industries and green careers.

Although it’s not much fun to read about the long term impact of global warming, understanding the full effects of the changes give us a better chance of guiding our careers to contribute to solving the problems at hand.

These climate changes are likely to impact various aspects of our way of life. You can use this information to begin to understand the green industries and green professions that will be called upon to resolve climate change related issues.

Read this week's article for more information on the effects of climate change and the jobs that will combat those effects.

List of 150 Solar Energy Start Up Companies

In our ongoing commitment to our readers searching for a green career, when we find lists of green companies we like to share them.  We have found a list of 150 start-up solar energy companies compiled by greentechmedia.com.  Each company has a brief description of their part in the solar energy industry, the amount of venture capital received thus far, and a link to their website.

The list is divided into four parts.

• Part 1: Silicon wafer technology (c-Si), solar installers, solar financiers, solar balance of plan (BoS), solar monitoring, manufacturing tools, and software
• Part 2: Concentrated Photovoltaics
• Part 3: Next Generation Photovoltaics
• Part 4: Thin Film

At the end of each part you'll find a link to the next part. 

The list is not divided into geographic areas.  To look for a solar start-up job in your area, set aside some time to surf the list. (Keep in mind that a few of the companies based outside of the US may not have job openings in the US.)

Green Career Central's Global Photo Tour: Egypt

This week, with frigid weather touching so many areas of the United Sates, I decided it was time to visit someplace warm!! Join us for a tour of Egypt.

Fourteen years ago this week I was just returning from a three week trip to Egypt. Although I had traveled to the British Isles and France several times before, my trip to Egypt was an entirely different experience! The sacred places, the markets, and the culture left a lasting impression on me.

A couple of my favorite sites are included in this tour!

Abu Simbel - After arriving by plane from Aswan, we rounded a corner and found ourselves looking at this! The guard in white shows you the scale of this immense temple. What's particularly interesting is that this entire monument was relocated and reconstructed before the area was flooded when the Aswan Dam was built. Block by block this entire monument was moved to higher ground. When you take this tour you actually walk down the path way to the inner area of the temple. The scale is astounding.

Philae - Our tour guide was a graduate student when this temple was relocated to a larger island to prevent it from being flooded. Each block was numbered, moved, and put back in place. Can you imagine!? What struck me the most about this particular temple was the silence. Located as it was in the middle of the Nile, the only non-natural sounds you hear are the periodic boats that bring visitors to the island.

I also enjoyed this photo of dates drying in a palm grove. Reminds me a bit of some of the decorative images we saw on the tour of India.

Have you been to Egypt? What intrigues you about the photos in this tour?

Please note that Yann Arthus Berthand has updated his site. Unfortunately, the write up for vertical photos is someone obscured. I'm sure they will fix this when they realize this effect of their redesign.

Green Career Trends: Energy Efficiency Certificates for Home Sales, Labels for Tires in Europe, TV's More Energy Efficient

One way to improve overall energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gases is for consumers to be able to make informed decisions regarding their purchases.  Here are three examples of using labels and certificates to improve efficiency.

Oregon's Governor, Ted Kulongoski, has proposed that any owner selling or renting a home or commercial building obtain a certificate from the state revealing the property's energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.  This proposal would take effect in 2011 for new and existing homes and 2012 for commercial buildings.  There are plenty of questions about how this would be implemented, but if passed it would create jobs and stimulate the building energy efficiency industry to create new products.

In Europe, regulators have asked that tires be labeled A through G for fuel efficiency, grip and noise.  Level A being green and level G being red. The labels would be viewable by consumers at the point of purchase and in catalogs.  This label would allow consumers to make an informed choice and may force manufactures to be more competitive and make efficiency upgrades.

You may have seen the Energy Star rating on household appliances, including televisions.  As of November 1, TV's that meet the new Energy Star requirements will be up to 30% more energy efficient than conventional models.  Energy Star ratings give consumers choice and manufacturers motivation to create products that are energy efficient.

Green Career Tip - Are You Walking Your Green Talk? A Key to Landing a Green Job

Are you looking for ways to increase your chances of getting hired when the economy takes an up turn…or even before it completely turns around?

Based on my conversations with hiring managers and career counselors at the various green events I attended in November, I’ve heard time and time again that demonstrating your commitment to the green movement goes a long way toward making you a viable job candidate.

Although you might think employers are just interpreting your green activities as a sign of your values, it is really more than that. They are looking for signs that you’ve taken the initiative and will do what it takes to help the environment.

Five Ways to Demonstrate Your Commitment to the Green Movement:

• Read widely
• Volunteer
• Take actions to green your own life
• Take classes/Earn a degree
• Take a leadership role

Read this week's full article to learn more about these methods

Green Career Central's Global Photo Tour: Amazing Skies

Today we are taking a bit of a detour...Instead of visiting another country, we are exploring a different facet of the earth...the sky! I was inspired by a beautiful array of images I found today that show us the sky's amazing phenomenons!

How many of these have you witnessed? I believe I've experienced eight of the ten!

Have you ever experienced a sky event that's not mentioned here? Or what's your favorite memory of a sky experience? Share your thoughts below in a comment.

I have two favorite memories...

1. Soon after my father passed away, my Mom, brother and I went to a local tree lot to purchase our Christmas tree. It was near the edge of town at that time so there was plenty of empty space. As we approached we saw a very clear double rainbow with one of the rainbows "touching" the ground within our line of sight! A stunning experience.
2. When I was at Purdue for graduate school we had several major snow storms. The day after one of them I was walking to classes completely mesmerized by what I saw. The wind was picking up snowflakes from the previous day's snow storm. As the flakes flew, they created tiny prisms of light...where ever I looked! The world literally sparkled that day!

Take a moment to look at the sky.

Green Career Trends: No Clean Coal, B of A No Longer Financing Mountain Top Removal, The Future of Coal Plants

A coalition of environmental and political groups has come together and created the "Reality" Coalition to call attention to so called Clean Coal.  Al Gore's Alliance for Climate Protection, the League of Conservation Voters, National Wildlife Federation, Natural Resources Defense Council, and the Sierra Club have come together to call Clean Coal an oxymoron.  The coalition is using facts to argue that coal cannot be considered clean until its carbon dioxide emissions are captured and stored.  Until that happens, the coalition contends, no more coal fired plants should be built in the US.

Not only is the coal industry facing the "Reality" Coalition, they must contend with one fewer banking institution willing to finance mountain top removal mining.  In a statement released by Bank of America, they have decided to be good earth stewards and to phase out financing of companies that practice mountain top removal.  The Natural Resources Defense Council persuaded B of A executives to make the change by urging them to visit several sites in Appalachia and view the impact for themselves. 

In 2007 fifty nine new coal fired plants were canceled, abandoned or put on hold.  Thus far in 2008 the number is eighteen in the US and one in the Netherlands according to Coal Moratorium Now.  In November of this year the Environmental Protection Agency ruled against a new coal fired utility plant in Utah. 

What will fewer coal plants and more industry regulation do to supply and demand and therefore the price of coal?  Will coal fired plants switch to natural gas, and what will that do to the price of natural gas and the price of electricity?  How will consumers respond to higher utility charges during an economic downturn?  Will the price of coal and natural gas become high enough to allow renewable energy sources such as wind, solar and geothermal to become viable industry alternatives?  Leave us your thoughts in the comments section below.

Green Career Tip - I Want a Green Career… Where Do I Start?

At the Green Career Conference I facilitated a break out session entitled Brainstorming Solutions to Your Job Search Frustrations. As I began the breakout session I asked all of the participants to write down their main frustration with their own green job search.

As I sorted through the cards I noticed an immediate theme… Where Do I Start? This trend also appears in emails I receive, people I talk to after presentations, and people I talk to by phone.

Four areas discussed are:

• Understanding the Landscape of the Green Economy
• Determining Your Green Focus
• Immerse Yourself in Your Target Industry/Profession
• Your Time Line

Read the full article for all the useful details.