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There is a lot of talk in the media about "green-collar" jobs, the road to recovery and renewed prosperity through such jobs. Hundreds of thousand of unemployed workers are asking themselves two questions: What is a "green-collar" job? And where can I get one? According to Lucy Blake of the Apollo Alliance; which is helping to transition the economy from fossil fuels to renewable energy: "A green-collar job is, in essence, a blue-collar job that has been upgraded to address the environmental challenges of our country".
In reality "green-collar jobs" are old blue-collar jobs lost in the past six months across all industries; that are being created in new green industries such as clean energy(solar, wind turbines) or sustainable development-focused companies. The reason these jobs are so important to the new economy is two-fold. First they are an integral part of the stimulus package put forward by the Obama administration focused on infrastructure and construction. From winterizing home and providing better insulation to installing solar panels electrician, plumbers and carpenters become "green economy" workers.
According to Van Jones - founder of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights and of the Oakland (Calif.) Apollo Alliance and who also advises President Barack Obama on green jobs - green-collar jobs are manual-labor jobs that can't be outsourced. "You can't take a building you want to weatherize, put it on a ship to China and then have them do it and send it back," Jones said in a recent New York Times interview. "So we are going to have to put people to work in this country - weatherizing millions of buildings, putting up solar panels, constructing wind farms. Those green-collar jobs can provide a pathway out of poverty for someone who has not gone to college."
The second reason has to do with the new "Energy Technology" revolution. The environmental and energy challenges will be around long after we are out of this recession and into a strong recovery. There is a "Triple E" crisis with the Economy, Environment and Energy creating the perfect storm. Green-collar jobs are important to get us out of the Economy crisis but will be critical to meet the challenges facing the Environment and Energy crisis. The opportunities offered by a greener economy focused on sustainable development are numerous and span many industries. It is all about energy efficiency, better management of resources from waste to manufacturing with a closed-loop approach.
Green-collar jobs are being created as we speak with entrepreneurs finding opportunities in the new economy based on sustainable development. From the auto industry with hybrid-technology cars to carpets made with recycled materials green products need green-collar workers to make them. Opportunities abound for eco-innovation in a world where consumers are becoming greener. The challenge is for everyone to become a little greener and to seek and buy eco-products which will in turn create green jobs
Jean-Luc Marcoux,ecoEntrepreneur and Managing Director;EverQuest Design Inc, an eco marketing agency involved in marketing of products made from repurposed textiles(Cirque du Soleil tents, Apple advertising billboards, space mission parachutes). He has worked with Cirque du Soleil, CBS and large media and telecom clients in Canada and the USA. He also has significant experience as a business strategist in online marketing.
