Jobs in a Green Economy
Good news my friends. In our quest to move from a fossil fuel based economy to a green economy there will be plenty of jobs. Not only will green jobs be plentiful, but many people will not even need extensive training to join the green economy. Some jobs like carpenters and electricians will transition very smoothly to the green economy. You see there are and will be jobs in many different careers in the green economy.
Building Retrofitting Jobs
One of the best ways to reduce our use of carbon fossil fuels is to make our homes and buildings green by making them more energy efficient. Building can be made green and more energy efficient by:
- Adding insulation to the outer envelope.
- Sealing all air leaks.
- Installing more energy efficient windows and doors.
- Installing energy efficient roofing systems.
- Installing energy efficient heating and air conditioning systems.
Retrofitting buildings and doing home improvements in a green economy will provide jobs for Carpenters, Electricians, Heating and Air Conditioning Installers, Construction Equipment Operators, Roofers, Insulation Installers, Truck Drivers and Building Inspectors. All of these jobs will require some additional training, but no change in the skill set.
Mass Transit Jobs
Mass transit is almost a no brainer for reducing our dependency on fossil fuels. Go green by not only using the carpool lane but utilizing mass transit. When I lived in Germany it seemed like there was a train or bus system that went through every town and village connecting the entire country and making it easy to get around. Building this type of infrastructure in a country the size of the United States would be a massive undertaking. I would envision that eventually we will get to that point, but for now in the major urban areas mass transit expansion will provide many jobs. Cities like Denver Colorado are on the forefront of expansion in mass transit.
Green Economy Mass Transit Jobs will include: Civil Engineers, Rail Track Layers, Electricians, Welders, Metal Fabricators, Engine Assembly, Drivers, Supervisors, Security and Dispatchers.
Energy Efficient Automobiles and Trucks Jobs
With gas and diesel prices being what they are, green jobs should be plentiful in the coming years as we transition to more energy efficient transportation. Whether a person is interested in hydrogen, electrical, biofuels or some type of flexfuel it is envisioned that green jobs will be a plentiful.
Green Economy Transportation Jobs will include: Computer Software Engineers, Electrical Engineers, Engineering Technicians, Welders, Transportation Equipment Painters, Metal Fabrication, Machine Tool Operators, Assembly, Production, and Managers.
Wind Power Jobs
T. Boone Pickens' is taking a leading role in promoting wind power for electricity generation and the use of natural gas to fuel our vehicles. If you have never seen a wind farm, the size of the windmills are amazing. One blade on a windmill can be as large as a jet airplane. I think that second to building retrofitting jobs, wind power jobs in a green economy will be a great field to get into in the coming years. By coming years I do not mean wait a few years to get started learning how to do these jobs. Get started now! You can not take advantage of an opportunity in the green job market or green business market unless you are ready for it.
Green Economy Wind Power Jobs will include: Environmental Engineers, Iron and Steel Workers, Millwrights, Fiberglass Workers, Sheet Metal Workers, Machinist, Electrical Engineers, Electrical Equipment Assemblers and Installers, Construction Equipment Operators, Production Workers and Supervisors.
Solar Power Jobs
New breakthroughs are coming almost daily in solar power. Solar power has long been hailed as one of the best green replacements for fossil fuels. Jobs in solar power are cropping up all over the United States on a daily basis. As of this writing a breakthrough in solar power has occurred at MIT utilizing the sun to create hydrogen for electricity in our homes. Bringing up a good point. A very good green jobs is to be a research scientist working for a major university or non-profit research facility.
Green Economy Solar Power Jobs include: Scientist, Computer Engineers and Technicians, Electrical Engineers and Technicians, Industrial Machinery Mechanics, Welders, Metal Fabricators, Machinist, Construction Equipment Operators, Installation Technicians, Factory Machine Operators.
Alternative Fuel Jobs
From cellulosic biofuels to ethanol and whatever the scientist will be coming up with, the green jobs in this field of endeavor range from scientist to mechanic. Just like the previous categories there is a green job for everyone.
Green Economy Alternative Fuel Jobs include: Engineers, Scientist, Chemical Equipment Operators and Technicians, Mixing and Blending Machine Operators, Agriculture Workers, Truck Drivers, Farm Product Purchasers and Salesman, Inspectors. Green Jobs For Everyone To sum it all up, in the green economy there are and will be jobs for everyone from the carpenter doing home improvement projects, to the scientist and engineers inventing and designing the systems we will use. Many will cling to the fossil fuel based economy in the same way that many resisted the move from horse and buggies to automobiles. There is no stopping progress.
Published by J. Michael Warner
I enjoy reading and writing about a variety of subjects, both non-fiction and fiction. I am interested in business, marketing, SEO, social media marketing, politics, history, economics, recycling, building... View profile
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- As we move from a fossil fuel based economy to a green economy the job outlook is good.
6 Comments
Post a CommentReally excellent info
wow very nice detailed info here, super job on this very informative thanks!!!!!
Sometimes I get so busy obsessing about a catchy a title for my article that I forget the importance of a clear title that says exactly what your topic is...one that states your topic perfectly (Green economy, Jobs) and then provides descriptions of the jobs. From start to finish, excellent!
What a wonderfully refreshing, forward-thinking approach. I esp. like that you listed specific job types since many people who have not worked in those sorts of fields may not think of them. Students getting near the stepping out into the world point should def. read this and give it some thought in selecting their occupation.
It is my belief that we are at the beginning of a paradigm shift similar to what occurred at the beginning of the industrial era. Many applications for fossil fuels such as plastics and medicine will continue, yet the way we produce energy needed for those applications will change our whole economy. The potential for jobs in this situation will be outstanding.
I had long believed many of the rumors out there that it was impossible to obtain all your electricity needs by solar power because it was too inefficient. However, lately I have met many people who live out in isolated areas of the desert whose only source of electricity comes from stored solar power. It's made me rethink the entire issue completely.