Green jobs

The term “green jobs” encompasses a number of fields, ranging from jobs that increase energy efficiency and reduce waste, to those that protect biological diversity and decrease dependency on polluting technologies. Ecosystems are increasingly seen as important because they provide food and fuel, purify air and water, detoxify and decompose waste, and moderate floods, droughts, temperature extremes, pollination, and pest control. These ecosystem–related issues are valued between $2.9 and $38 trillion, compared with a world gross domestic product (GDP) of $54 trillion.

Proponents of green jobs argue that the job market will shift from unsustainable jobs in the fossil fuel industry to jobs in renewable energy. The ultimate goal of the green job movement is to create a paradigm shift in the way consumers and producers think about conservation issues. This can range from reducing carbon footprints to increasing biodiversity and conserving or protecting water sources.

Opponents argue that green jobs cannot be created fast enough to replace other jobs in the energy industry, yielding an increased number of unemployed workers and a set of jobs that are only available to those with specialized skills. However, both sides agree that some level of government involvement may be necessary to manage jobs in the energy industry.

Understanding the Discussion

Biodiversity: The variability among organisms within an ecosystem. Maintaining biodiversity is necessary to preserve the health and survival of an ecosystem.

Sustainability: The concept that new development must meet current needs without compromising future needs. Sustainability has three interdependent dimensions: the environment, economy, and society.

Carbon footprint: The total amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases emitted over the full lifecycle of a product or service, expressed as grams of CO2 (carbon dioxide) equivalents.

Green-collar job: A paid position that provides environmentally friendly products or services. This term suggests high standards regarding fair wages, equal opportunity, and healthy working conditions. The employer may be a private business, government, a non-profit, or a cooperative business. Examples include organic farmers, sustainable forestry workers, recycling technicians, and solar panel manufacturers.

History

Jobs in the fields of energy and manufacturing have traditionally included a diversity of workers ranging from coal miners to well drillers and highly skilled engineers. These jobs created large amounts of air and water pollution during the industrial period, which began in the mid-1800s. In 2000, the Worldwatch Institute, an environmental research institute, analyzed manufacturing job data from the United States Department of Commerce, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the US Department of Energy and found that the paper, chemical, fossil fuel, and metal industries accounted for 64 percent of all toxins released into the environment and 79 percent of all energy used. However, these industries only account for about 12 percent of the jobs in the manufacturing industry.

In the 1970s and 1980s, environmental issues played a relatively small role in the economy. However, increasing encouragement from the public led to a greater number of environmental regulations set by the government. For example, the increase in visible air and water emissions inspired activists such as Rachel Carson, author of Silent Spring (1962), to campaign for environmental issues. In the 1980s, political scientist Joseph Huber proposed a switch from pollution-generating technology to cleaner production in an effort to reverse the negative impacts of industrialization on the environment. He termed this solution “ecological modernization,” which means including nature in the interaction between man and technology.

Ultimately, public awareness and government regulations created a demand for the reduction of pollutants and environmental waste at the corporate level. For example, the chairman of Shell Oil Company stated that any currently manufactured car should have fuel efficiencies above 35 miles per gallon. However, not all corporations caught the “green bug,” and many were worried that green jobs would harm the economy.

One of the fundamental arguments in the green jobs debate is whether a green economy will increase or decrease overall economic growth. Proponents of green jobs believe that growth will be maintained or enhanced because governments will force companies to comply with environmental regulations. Furthermore, proponents argue that green jobs will require a diverse workforce, and that long-term economic growth will increase if we use our resources sparingly rather than depleting them. A 2005 study by Management Information Services, Inc. (MISI) cited a growth in the environmental industry from $40 billion in 1970 to $320 billion in 2004, with the number of jobs increasing from less than 1 million to more than 7 million.

The amount of money spent on green employment has increased but the industry appears to have reached a plateau, decreasing from a growth of 60 percent in the 1970s to a 15 percent growth in the 1990s. In addition, many green jobs are subsidized by the government or created in response to government regulations. These subsidies often range from $2 million to $100 million dollars, are provided primarily as tax credits, and end up costing tax payers money. For example, a solar plant in Michigan received fifteen years of tax benefits, saving the company $97 million dollars. While this type of investment should pay for itself and create local jobs, the initial burden is often great. However, the Good Jobs First national resource center argues that green jobs are not necessarily quality jobs and that workers typically receive less pay than the industry average for manufacturing jobs. Of twenty green employers examined by Good Jobs First, five paid their employees less than what is needed for a single adult to support one child.

Green Jobs Today

In 2009, President Barrack Obama allocated $4 billion to improve energy efficiency in public housing. This will provide jobs for engineers, construction workers, and manufacturing companies. Researchers at the Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) found that retrofitting buildings with more energy efficient materials creates twice as many jobs on a dollar for dollar basis than does oil or gas production. In addition, approximately 95 percent of the money for retrofitting will remain in the US economy while decreasing energy bills and waste.

Additionally, a surprising alliance has recently formed between manufacturers and environmental organizations. One reason for this is the rejuvenation of the steel industry due to the demand for green products such as wind turbines. For example, the Apollo Alliance—made up of major unions, including the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (ALF-CIO), environmental organizations (such as the Sierra Club), and a number of community, trade associations and business groups—is known for using the slogan “Clean energy, good jobs, freedom from foreign oil.” The alliance argues that an investment of $300 billion would add more than 3.3 million jobs to the economy, stimulate $1.4 trillion in new GDP, and produce $284 billion in net energy cost savings.

According to the Institute for Energy Research (IER), all is not bright in the green jobs market. The IER argues that pumping money into green jobs is counterproductive and leads to lower productivity, more workers, and higher costs to consumers. Instead, they believe a more efficient energy system should have fewer workers and be more cost effective. They also believe that the green job market is not sustainable and depends too much on government assistance. For instance, the US subsidized the renewable energy industry for $17 billion as of 2007, which is twice as much as the conventional energy market.

The global green jobs market suffered further as a result of the 2008 global financial crisis and the worldwide recession that followed. However, US President Barack Obama included green job creation as a part of plan for American economic recovery in 2010. These included an estimated $2.3 billion in tax cuts for the US clean energy sector, the intention of which is to create 17,000 new jobs. President Obama stated that with an increase in clean energy jobs, American can accomplish his goal of doubling the amount of renewal energy in the United States by 2013. US Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis stated in February 2011 that green jobs should also be considered as the Obama administration increased federal spending on improvements in national infrastructure, particularly in transportation.

• These essays and any opinions, information or representations contained therein are the creation of the particular author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of EBSCO Information Services.

Bibliography

Books

Jones, V. The Green Collar Economy. New York, NY: Harper Collins, 2008.

Llewellyn, B., et al. Green jobs: A Guide to Eco-Friendly Employment. Cincinnati, OH: Adams Media, 2008.

Periodicals

Belsie, Laurent. “Obama to create 17,000 green jobs. What’s a green job?” The Christian Science Monitor 8 January 2010 http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/new-economy/2010/0108/Obama-to-create-17-000-green-jobs.-What-s-a-green-job.

BELVAL, KALEY. “Green Job Hunting.” E: The Environmental Magazine 23.5 (2012): 46. Academic Search Alumni Edition. Web. 13 Feb. 2014. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a2h&AN=80220444.

Cesari, Lindsay. “From Green Industries To Green Jobs.” School Library Journal 59.4 (2013): 68. Academic Search Alumni Edition. Web. 13 Feb. 2014. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a2h&AN=86693892.

Devaney, Tim. “Labor chief Solis cites environmental jobs training in visit.” The Detroit News 8 February 2011 http://www.detnews.com/article/20110208/BIZ/102080331/1001/Labor-chief-Solis-cites-environmental-jobs-training-in-visit.

Eddlem, Thomas R. “The Real Green In Fedgov’s “Green Energy.” New American (08856540) 29.1 (2013): 25-29. Academic Search Alumni Edition. Web. 13 Feb. 2014. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a2h&AN=86214926.

Galbenu, Julia. “Your Dream Green Job.” Alternatives Journal 41.4 (2015): 14, Academic Search Complete. Web. 31 Dec. 2015. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=110691538.

“Green Technologies And Practices At Work.” Occupational Outlook Quarterly 57.2 (2013): 49. Academic Search Alumni Edition. Web. 13 Feb. 2014. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a2h&AN=90170498.

Griswold, Wendy. “Community Education and Green Jobs.” Adult Learning 24.1 (2013): 30–36. Academic Search Complete. Web. 31 Dec. 2015. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=84608752.

Hill, Robert J. “A Deeper Shade of Green.” Adult Learning 24.1 (2013): 43–46. Print.

“Making Green Jobs Safer For Employee.” Professional Safety 57.1 (2012): 19. Academic Search Alumni Edition. Web. 13 Feb. 2014. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a2h&AN=70148661.

Pollin, Robert. “Economic Prospects.” New Labor Forum 21.3 (2012): 84–87. Print.

Scully-Russ, Ellen, Amy D. Rose, and Michelle Glowacki-Dudka. “Green Jobs: Job Training and Career Pathways.” Adult Learning 24.1 (2013): 3–5. Print.

Sweeny, Sean. “Green Capitalism Won’t Work.” New Labor Forum (Sage Publications Inc.) 24.2 (2015): 12–17. Academic Search Complete. Web. 31 Dec. 2105. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=102634085.