Green Collar Jobs

The demand for Green collar workers, to fill Green Jobs, will dramatically increase in the near future.  This is happening because of policies and programs that are being passed to improve environmental quality and a move to renewable energy sources.  Included are zero waste policies, energy and water conservation, whole home performance and residential solar energy.  People are also choosing locally grown produce.  Most people today are choosing eco-friendly companies, now that they are a little more green educated which will add thousands of green collar jobs.  Here is a list of potential green jobs.

• Bicycle repair and bike delivery services
• Car and truck mechanic jobs, production jobs, and gas-station jobs related to biodiesel
• Energy retrofits to increase energy efficiency and conservation
• Green building
• Green waste composting on a large scale
• Hauling and reuse of construction materials and debris (C&D)
• Hazardous materials clean-up
• Landscaping
• Manufacturing jobs related to large scale production of appropriate technologies (i.e. solar panels, bike cargo systems, green waste bins, etc.)
• Materials reuse
• Non-toxic household cleaning in residential and commercial buildings
• Parks and open space expansion and maintenance
• Printing with non-toxic inks and dyes
• Public transit jobs related to driving, maintenance, and repair
• Recycling and reuse
• Small businesses producing products from recycled materials
• Solar installation
• Tree cutting and pruning
• Peri-urban and urban agriculture
• Water retrofits to increase water efficiency and conservation
• Whole home performance, including attic insulation, weatherization, etc.

Switching to work green jobs will have an immediate effect on workers, communities, and society at large.  Steps have to be taken to ensure that green workers will be making enough money to survive and that jobs like this will be available with minimum training or on-the-job training.  Working jobs like these will also educate the workers to live a cleaner, greener life and along with that, education of our youngsters, so that generations to come will take care of the environment and our planet a little better.