GOING 4 GREENPathways to Success

Green Futuresin a

Post-Sandy World

smallFEAT for Schools, 2013

Helping schools shrink their footprint one small step at a time

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9l5loEzGgk&feature=share

ALMOST A YEAR AGO TO THE DAY

GAME-CHANGERSAND

CLIMATE QUESTIONS

Sustainable Development

http://www.unrisd.org/greeneconomy

The Impact of Super-storm Sandy

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Format

Overview• What do we mean by Green• What are the Green Job Sectors• What are the prospects• What are the pathways• Where will they take me

Pathways Destinations

Sustainability Defined

Is there a definition? There are many, but…• Sustainability is...

“Meeting our needs while not compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs”

(United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development)

What is this Green Thing?

What do we mean by “green”?

Green generally refers to products, processes, policies and practices that

reduce negative impacts on the environment (i.e. eco-friendly)

What is a “Green Job”

What is a green job:• “Green jobs provide products and

services which use renewable energy resources, reduce pollution, conserve energy and natural resources, and reconstitute waste”

(White House Taskforce on the Middle Class, 2009)

• “Good jobs that are good for the environment”

(Obama Administration definition, 2009)

Where do we see Green?

http://www.onetonline.org/find/green

Definition of Green Jobs (from the Bureau of Labor Statistics)

• Jobs in businesses that produce goods or provide services that benefit the environment or conserve natural resources.

• Jobs in which workers' duties involve making their establishment's production processes more environmentally friendly or use fewer natural resources.

Triple Bottom Line is Sustainable

Triple Bottom Line (integrated model)• People and planet considered vital assets and capital• Profit decisions are weighed against and balanced with

social and environmental impacts • Recognizes ethical “corporate responsibility” and the

idea of a greater good (i.e., you can’t just rape the planet and abuse workers, etc. because you can increase profit)

Green Job Sectors

Renewable Energy Generation Transportation Energy Efficiency Green Construction Energy Trading Energy and Carbon Capture and

Storage Research Design Consulting Services

Sectors

Environment Protection Agriculture and Forestry Manufacturing Recycling and Waste Reduction Governmental and Regulatory

Administration

Definition of Green Economy (from O Net)

Green economy: economic activity related to reducing the use of fossil fuels, decreasing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, increasing the efficiency of energy usage, recycling materials, and developing and adopting renewable sources of energy.

The Green Job Sectors:

Renewable Energy Generation

This sector covers activities related to developing and using energy sources such as solar, wind, geothermal, and biomass. This sector also includes traditional, non-renewable sources of energy undergoing significant green technological changes (e.g., oil, coal, gas, and nuclear).

Transportation

This sector covers activities related to increasing efficiency and/or reducing environmental impact of various modes of transportation including trucking, mass transit, and freight rail.

Energy Efficiency

This sector covers activities related to increasing energy efficiency (broadly defined), making energy demand response more effective, constructing "smart grids," and other energy efficient activities.

Green Construction

This sector covers activities related to constructing new green buildings, retrofitting residential and commercial buildings, and installing other green construction technology.

Energy Trading

This sector covers financial services related to buying and selling energy as an economic commodity, as well as carbon trading projects.

Energy and Carbon Capture and Storage

This sector covers activities related to capturing and storing energy and/or carbon emissions, as well as technologies related to power plants using the integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) technique.

Research, Design, and Consulting Services

This sector encompasses "indirect jobs" to the green economy which includes activities such as energy consulting or research and other related business services.

Environment Protection

This sector covers activities related to environmental remediation, climate change adaptation, and ensuring or enhancing air quality.

Agriculture and Forestry

This sector covers activities related to using natural pesticides, efficient land management or farming, and aquaculture.

Manufacturing

This sector covers activities related to industrial manufacturing of green technology as well as energy efficient manufacturing processes.

Recycling and Waste Reduction

This sector covers activities related to solid waste and wastewater management, treatment, and reduction, as well as processing recyclable materials.

Governmental and Regulatory Administration

This sector covers activities by public and private organizations associated with conservation and pollution prevention, regulation enforcement, and policy analysis and advocacy.

Pathways

Skills Educational Options Deep Green Jobs vs. Alternative Path Destinations

• Fulfillment• Financial • Fundamental

FOUNDATION SKILLS

by Lawrence K. Jones, Ph.D., NCC

The 17 Foundation Skills are those required of all workers in the high-performance workplace of the 21st century. They are grouped into four clusters:

The Four Clusters

Basic SkillsReading, Writing, Speaking, Listening,

Mathematics Thinking Skills

Creative, Problem Solving, Decision Making, Visualization

People SkillsSocial, Negotiation, Leadership, Team

Work, Cultural Diversity Personal Qualities

Self Esteem, Self Management, Responsibility

Green Jobs All Shapes and Sizes

HIGH EARNERS

The average green collar worker makes $76,000 per year, the survey showed, with half of respondents receiving an annual bonus of around $11,000. The other half received no bonus.

"Top tier salaries have increased over the past two years. We now see more jobs paying six figure salaries, particularly as climate change has started to pull in senior managers from other areas of business," said Andy Cartland, managing director at Acre Resources.

U.S.-based workers were the best paid, receiving salaries averaging $100,000, while Australasia followed closely with $93,000. Workers in Asia earned the least at $41,500.

Reading:

1. Identify relevant details, facts, andspecification in what is being read;

2. Locate information in books and manuals, from graphs and schedules;

3. Find meaning of unknown or technical words and phrases;

4. Judge accuracy of reports; and

5. Use computer to find information.

BASIC SKILLS

Writing:

1. Communicate thoughts, ideas, information, and messages in writing;

2. Record information completely andaccurately;

3. Create documents, including letters, manuals, reports and graphs;

4. Check, edit, and revise documents for correct information, appropriate emphasis, grammar, spelling, and punctuation; and

5. Use computers to communicate information.

Speaking:

1. Organize ideas and communicate oralmessages appropriate to listener and situations;

2. Select appropriate language, tone or voice,gestures, and level of complexity appropriateto audience and occasion;

3. Speak clearly; ask questions when needed.

Listening:

1. Listen carefully to what a person says, notingtone of voice and other body language tounderstand content and feelings beingexpressed; and

2. Respond in a way that shows understanding ofwhat is said.

Mathematics:

1. Use numbers, fractions, and percentages to solve practical problems;

2. Make reasonable estimates of arithmetic results without calculator;

3. Use tables, graphs, diagrams, and charts to obtain numerical information;

4. Use computers to enter, retrieve, change, and communicate numerical information; and

5. Use computers to communicate data, choosing the best form to present data (e.g., line or bargraph, pie charts).

Creative Thinking:

1. Use imagination freely, combining ideas orinformation in new ways; and

2. Make connections between ideas that seemunrelated.

THINKING SKILLS

Decision Making Skills:

1. Identify the goal desired in making thedecision;

2. Generate alternatives for reaching the goal;

3. Gather information about the alternatives (e.g., from experts or books);

4. Weigh the pros and cons of each alternative(i.e., gains/losses to yourself and others,approval/disapproval or self and others);

5. Make the best choice; and

6. Plan how to carry out your choice and whatyou will do if negative consequences occur.

Visualization:

1. See a building or object by looking at a blueprint, drawing, or sketch; and

2. Imagine how a system works by looking at a schematic drawing [or symbolic representation]

Problem-Solving Skills:

1. Recognize problem, a gap between what is and what should or could be;

2. Identify why it is a problem;

3. Create and implement a solution; and

4. Watch to see how well solution works and revise if needed.

Social:

1. Show understanding, friendliness, and respectfor the feelings of others;

2. Assert oneself appropriately, stand up foryourself and your ideas in a firm, positiveway; and

3. Take an interest in what people say and whythey think and act as they do.

People Skills

Cultural Diversity:

1. Work well with people having different ethnic,social, or educational backgrounds;

2. Understand the concerns of members of other ethic and gender groups;

3. Base impressions on a person’s behavior, notstereotypes;

4. Understand one’s own culture and those ofothers and how they differ; and

5. Respect the rights of others while helpingthem make cultural adjustments wherenecessary.

Leadership:

1. Communicate thoughts and feelings to justifya position;

2. Encourage, persuade, or convince individualsor groups;

3. Make positive use of rules (e.g. “Robert’sRules of Order”) or values of the organization;

4. Exhibit ability to have others believe in andtrust you due to your competence and honesty.

Teamwork:

1. Work cooperatively with others; contribute tothe group with ideas and effort;

2. Do own share of tasks necessary to completeproject;

3. Encourage team members by listening to them, providing support, and offering tips forsuccess, as appropriate;

4. Resolve differences for the benefits of theteam; and

5. Responsibly challenge existing procedures,policies, or authorities.

Negotiation:

1. Identify common goals among different parties in conflict and the ways they depend on each other;

2. Clearly present the facts and arguments ofyour own position;

3. Listen to and understand other party’sposition; and

4. Create and propose possible options forresolving the conflict, making reasonablecompromises.

Self-Esteem:

1. Understand how beliefs affect how a personfeels and acts;

2. Listening to what you say to yourself toidentify any irrational or harmful beliefs youmay have; and

3. Understand how to change these negativebeliefs when they occur.

PERSONAL QUALITIES

Self-Management:

1. Assess your own knowledge and skillsaccurately;

2. Set well-defined and realistic personal goals; and

3. Monitor your progress toward your goals.

Responsibility:

1. Give a high level of effort toward reachinggoals;

2. Work hard to become excellent at job tasks.Pay attention to details. Concentrate on doingtasks well, even unpleasant ones; and

3. Display high standards of attendance, honesty,energy, and optimism.

Educational Options

Energy Competency Model

                                                                                                                                                            

 

“Try not to become a man of success. Rather become a man of value.” ― Albert Einstein

8) Green accounting is especially becoming a field on which more companies are relying, as sustainability reporting is on the rise. Combining financial reports with sustainability reports is becoming more crucial as green practices become a staple part of organizations’ agendas—and subsequently, their budgets—in 2013.

9) Business has always been a good area to study, but if you master the specialized area of green supply chain management, then you are certain to be entering an area that is predicted to skyrocket this year. More companies in 2013 are projected to implement more eco-friendly manufacturing processes and product designs, for instance, as both government policies and green customers require this.

10) Believe it or not, more farming jobs will be available in 2013. Many existing farmers are nearing retirement, and many more will be needed to replace them in the area of organic farming and mass food production.

5) Mass transit jobs appear to be a goldmine this year as more cities focus on becoming commuter-friendly and, as a result, far more green. The U.S. President Obama administration is already dedicating more investment to transit—possibly $60 billion over the next few years—and 2013 will certainly be a catalyst.

6) Green high-technology jobs are cropping up in more diverse reasons in the United States, particularly Boise, Idaho, and Greensboro, North Carolina—leaders in the high-tech job sector.

7) Freelance green job seekers are on the rise this year. As unemployment remains a problem and as companies continue to tighten their hiring and spending belts, more individuals are looking to start their own green jobs and do more task-based work rather than working the regular eight-hour shift downtown. And with green products and services growing  in demand, finding a green business to start on your own is not too difficult these days.

2) Solar jobs will become in even greater demand in 2013, with more homeowners and business owners opting to take advantage of free sunlight to generate electricity, thus saving on the wallet. In fact, the cost of solar transistors is projected to drop by 50 percent about every 1.5 years. Last year, solar energy increased in popularity by 86 percent.

3) Flow batteries are energizing the green jobs sector in 2013. These batteries are rechargeable fuel cells that enable an electric grid to store extra electrical power during off-peak hours. Engineers and manufacturers of these batteries should have pretty strong job prospects this year.

4) Wind energy jobs will continue to provide more and more employment for green job seekers. In fact, the U.S. Department of Energy announced earlier in January that it would fund seven offshore wind projects. Wind energy makes up 2 percent of the world’s electricity right now, and the capacity is projected to keep doubling every two years.

Here are the top 10 green jobs predictions for 2013.

1) Jobs related to green building are expected to skyrocket. This year, green building is expected to jump to between $98 billion and $106 billion—a huge jump from the estimated amount of $85 billion in 2012. A whopping 22 percent to 25 percent of residential homes this year should be green.

“Wealth is not about having a lot of money; it's about having a lot of options.” ― Chris Rock

4 Things Green Employers are Looking For

“Being green should be not just what you do but who you are”

1. You cannot consider the green job as just a job – it must be a way of life. You need to really emphasize how your goal is to not only strive in the workplace but to also lead a productive green life outside of the workplace.

2. You need to bring fresh ideas with you to the green job company. Don’t expect to step into a new green job position and bring nothing new to the table. The green job field is naturally innovative, so be the job candidate who wants to challenge the status quo and make a difference in a unique sustainable way to the benefit of the company’s clients.

3. You must have some experience with green projects, either through school or past jobs. Your past should point to green thinking, as hiring managers are looking for those whose minds already are deep into the wave of a new green society.

4. You need to drive home that you have strong technical experience in the green job field or solid critical thinking skills if your technical skills aren’t so strong. Take advantage of industry certifications (such as the LEED – or Leadership in Environmental Energy and Design – Green Associate Exam for those in the green building field) that prove that you don’t just know industry buzzwords but that you actually understand what you are talking about.

What Would Be Best For Me(any combination of these could be pathways to others)

HS Diploma/GED—Don’t even think about dropping out! Try, try, try to find the support and services you need to graduate.

Military Service—Comes with issues attached but can be a pathway

Two Year Colleges, Vo-Tech, Apprentice—There is a huge amount of $ going into Community Colleges, Trade Schools, Green Job Training Programs by the federal government

Four Year Colleges, Post-Collegiate—A four year degree CAN make a big difference; beyond financial, it is a huge investment of time AND effort

Service—Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, City Year, CCC, etc.

Travel/Internship

Entrepreneur—start a green company, non-profit, social venture business

Thank You

wyork@smallfeat.org401-585-4833