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Go Green, Make Green

But what exactly is a "green job"?

Green is the new black. Green is cool, it’s fashionable, and it’s profitable. For those who don’t believe in global warming, that’s fine. But, hopefully if you’re out of work you will at least consider a job in the green industry, because green is here to stay.

The term “Green Job” means a job with a company that offers a product or service that allows consumers to use less energy, or a paying gig that lowers the environmental impact on the planet. Apollo Alliance – a coalition of industry, labor, and environmental groups – describes green jobs as those that “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.”

But what exactly turns a job green? According to those in charge, any job in a green company or a green division of a company is a green job. Examples of green companies and organizations include organic foods and consumer products, energy conservation, renewable energy, green building, recycling, environmental cleanup, socially responsible investing, sustainable tourism, non-profit environmental advocacy.

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In many cases, skills you already have may transfer from white-collar or blue-collar jobs to green jobs. The American Solar Energy Society predicts that over the next two decades at least one in four American workers will be employed in renewable-energy and energy-efficiency industries. This emerging phenomenon means more jobs and business opportunities will be available for independent contractors, from blue-collar workers to those with a Ph.D. Furthermore, this line of work isn’t just about making money. You can feel noble about how you earn your paycheck. Remember the whole concept of reinventing yourself? Well here’s your chance to have an extended Kumbaya moment while paying the mortgage. It’s time for you to change and time for the world to change.

Starting a green business or changing your career to green will probably require training, career counseling, and education. Most green jobs require a level of skill above a high school diploma, but many require only technical training or on-the-job training – perfect for someone who needs a job sooner rather than later.

Dozens of community colleges offer one-year certificates and two-year associate degrees in building and installing clean-energy systems. Training programs for the green energy sector are also offered on The Work Force Alliance website. Organizations like EcoEmploy.com post a running list of over 500 new jobs every two weeks. The latest training programs provide new skills for everyone from carpenters to marketing executives.

Organizations such as ICF International, Center for Environmental Health, Environmental Risk Communications, and Impact Sciences say they hire qualified people with bachelor’s degrees to work on everything from clean water projects to environmental policy work. According to university officials, starting salaries nationally range from $35,000 to $45,000 for graduates of two-year programs and $45,000 to $60,000 for graduates of four-year programs. That’s not too bad, considering you’re doing your part to save the planet and earning enough cash to fill up the Prius. Not everyone has the time, the inclination or the money to go back to college, but if you do you’ll have more choices.

What about the average out-of-work person laid off from a factory, a store, or an office? The jobs are out there for them. Solar panels need to be manufactured and then installed. And don’t forget the opportunities in recycling, wind farms, and buildings that need to be retrofitted. Not only will these jobs recharge the economy, but the earth will take notice that we finally give a damn. Imagine how your life will change if you go from a high-stress job in an office to a Zen-like career of planting organic crops. And who knows? You might even live a few years longer.


Candice Reed is the co-author of Thank You for Firing Me! How to Catch the Next Wave of Success After You Lose Your Job. For more job tips and information, check out thankyouforfiringme.org.

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Green is the new black. Green is cool, it’s fashionable, and it’s profitable. For those who don’t believe in global warming, that’s fine. But, hopefully if you’re out of work you will at least consider a job in the green industry, because green is here to stay.

The term “Green Job” means a job with a company that offers a product or service that allows consumers to use less energy, or a paying gig that lowers the environmental impact on the planet. Apollo Alliance – a coalition of industry, labor, and environmental groups – describes green jobs as those that “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.”

But what exactly turns a job green? According to those in charge, any job in a green company or a green division of a company is a green job. Examples of green companies and organizations include organic foods and consumer products, energy conservation, renewable energy, green building, recycling, environmental cleanup, socially responsible investing, sustainable tourism, non-profit environmental advocacy.

Sponsored
Sponsored

In many cases, skills you already have may transfer from white-collar or blue-collar jobs to green jobs. The American Solar Energy Society predicts that over the next two decades at least one in four American workers will be employed in renewable-energy and energy-efficiency industries. This emerging phenomenon means more jobs and business opportunities will be available for independent contractors, from blue-collar workers to those with a Ph.D. Furthermore, this line of work isn’t just about making money. You can feel noble about how you earn your paycheck. Remember the whole concept of reinventing yourself? Well here’s your chance to have an extended Kumbaya moment while paying the mortgage. It’s time for you to change and time for the world to change.

Starting a green business or changing your career to green will probably require training, career counseling, and education. Most green jobs require a level of skill above a high school diploma, but many require only technical training or on-the-job training – perfect for someone who needs a job sooner rather than later.

Dozens of community colleges offer one-year certificates and two-year associate degrees in building and installing clean-energy systems. Training programs for the green energy sector are also offered on The Work Force Alliance website. Organizations like EcoEmploy.com post a running list of over 500 new jobs every two weeks. The latest training programs provide new skills for everyone from carpenters to marketing executives.

Organizations such as ICF International, Center for Environmental Health, Environmental Risk Communications, and Impact Sciences say they hire qualified people with bachelor’s degrees to work on everything from clean water projects to environmental policy work. According to university officials, starting salaries nationally range from $35,000 to $45,000 for graduates of two-year programs and $45,000 to $60,000 for graduates of four-year programs. That’s not too bad, considering you’re doing your part to save the planet and earning enough cash to fill up the Prius. Not everyone has the time, the inclination or the money to go back to college, but if you do you’ll have more choices.

What about the average out-of-work person laid off from a factory, a store, or an office? The jobs are out there for them. Solar panels need to be manufactured and then installed. And don’t forget the opportunities in recycling, wind farms, and buildings that need to be retrofitted. Not only will these jobs recharge the economy, but the earth will take notice that we finally give a damn. Imagine how your life will change if you go from a high-stress job in an office to a Zen-like career of planting organic crops. And who knows? You might even live a few years longer.


Candice Reed is the co-author of Thank You for Firing Me! How to Catch the Next Wave of Success After You Lose Your Job. For more job tips and information, check out thankyouforfiringme.org.

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San Diego Reader 2024 Music & Arts Issue

Favorite fakers: Baby Bushka, Fleetwood Max, Electric Waste Band, Oceans, Geezer – plus upcoming tribute schedule
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Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
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