Switching To Green-Collar Jobs

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.businessweek.com/managing/content/jan2008/ca2008018_005632.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index_managing

January 10, 2008, 7:00AM EST

Switching To Green-Collar Jobs

A growing number of professionals are taking their talents and moving them to jobs that can help improve the environment

by Douglas MacMillan

On Dec. 6, Berkeley (Calif.) nonprofit Avoided Deforestation Partners hosted a panel at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali on the topic of REDD (reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation). The group's 55-year-old founder, Jeff Horowitz, took the stage and addressed a crowded room of environmental movers and shakers on his vision for the protection of rainforests. Horowitz describes the moment as a career milestone. But he is no lifelong activist; only a year before, he was a highly paid, sought-after architect in San Francisco.

A growing number of midlife career-changers like Horowitz are trading in their nine-to-fives for jobs more in line with their convictions and concerns for Mother Earth. So-called "green-collar jobs" are on the rise—the current tally of 8.5 million U.S. jobs in renewable-energy and energy-efficiency industries could grow to as many as 40 million by 2030, according to a November report commissioned by the American Solar Energy Society.

And the burgeoning industry is claiming scores of experienced workers who can put to use the skills they've acquired in more established fields such as construction, finance, and marketing. In some cases, the high demand for green career-changers translates into a larger paycheck. But more often, the satisfaction of making a positive difference in the world is enough of a boost.

Put Your Skills in a Green Context

Many people are tired of their jobs and know they want to give back to the environment, but have no idea where to look for a green-collar job. That's where consultants such as Marie Kerpan can help out. Weary of her own job as a career adviser at New York outplacement firm Drake Beam Morin (DKBMF), and anticipating the looming trend of green career-changers, Kerpan in 2000, positioned herself as an environmental career consultant—the first, she claims, of her kind.

...

[phantom power]

1. future green-collar == "subsistance farming."

discuss.

[Kolesar]

2. == "red neck"

Two words.

Ok, homesteading is unrealistic in my opinion, but marginally employed Americans in a weak economy are going to have to learn how to grow to survive.

[GliderGuider]

5. All those serfs in the 1400s didn't realize what high-prestige jobs they had.

Living close to the land, eating local foods, not using any fossil fuels in their agriculture, making everything they used from scratch, not traveling...

They were the once and future Greenies, all right.

[phantom power]

6. Oh well. This time we can have an *enlightened* Dark Ages!

I'm sure of it.

[OKIsItJustMe]

8. You know... this reminds me of Republican scare mongering about Social Security

The Republicans like to tell us about how "Social Security" is going to go bankrupt, as if, at that point, all payments will stop. They won't of course. They may, however, need to be reduced to the point where the sum of all money being paid out is equal to the sum of all money being paid in (which is the way the system was originally intended to operate.)


What does "peak oil" mean? Does it mean that tomorrow there will be no oil? No, it means tomorrow there is very likely going to be less oil.

When the oil runs out (which it will) does that mean we will have no power? No. We will almost certainly have less power. We will need to use it more wisely than we have. Today, in countries with lower standards of living, people have solar power, which is used to illuminate the night. If that modest technology were ubiquitous, that alone would put us far ahead of "The Dark Ages."

How much power will we have in the future? Well, that depends very much on what we do today.


There are a few approaches available to us.

• We can sit and mournfully wait for society to collapse around us.
• We can say, "eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we die."
• We can mock those who are trying to address our plight.
• We can try to contribute to the effort.

Which will you choose?


We have technology at hand to improve our future lot in life. We have technology on the horizon to improve it further still. What we need is the will to act.

[GliderGuider]

9. Who is included in "we"?

The implications of "Peak Oil" aren't simply "having less energy" any more than the implications of "Climate Change" are confined to "a gradually rising temperature". Civilization, like climate, is a large, complex, interconnected system, one in which non-linear occurrences are common.

Accepting and attempting to understand that fact isn't "giving in". But if you adopt an overly simplistic model of the system you will inevitably make many incorrect and even counterproductive decisions. Take the view that "Peak Oil means we will have less energy" as an example. The first approximation of a solution to that is, "Get more energy". That can cause us to start turning too much food into fuel (revealing one of those interconnections I mentioned) or burning more coal (Whoops, there's more CO2) or trying to expand nuclear power.

Now the fact that you looked at each of those three "solutions" and saw a problem as well means that you have, even if unconsciously, adopted a system approach to the issue of declining energy. If that's true, and you do believe that civilization and the natural world are both part of a complex, networked system, it may, upon reflection, seem a little hasty to dismiss problems in one aspect of the system as having little consequence before you've fully examined all the other parts of the system that jiggle when you pull on that one thread.

Will Peak Oil cause civilization to crash? I used to think so, but now I take a more conditional view. It certainly has the potential to crash vulnerable parts of our civilization, say by inducing famines in Africa due to declining economic activity intersecting with rising fertilizer prices and a growing population. Will there be interconnections from that back to our portion of the civilization? Undoubtedly, though it's much harder to tell what they will prove to be, and especially difficult to determine how strong the couplings might be. The reason the strength of the coupling is important is because the stronger the coupling, the more rigid the network and the higher the probability that a rupture of one link will cause a cascading failure.

I'm all in favour of people contributing to the effort. I will criticize only those activities I see as counter-productive - like making biofuels from food, burning coal, building nuclear plants or developing ever more exotic GMOs. If people champion such foolishness in their search for solutions, even in the face of rational evidence that they will make matters worse rather than better, I think mockery may sometimes be appropriate though I personally prefer making them look stupid through the presentation of factual arguments. If I see an activity as potentially risky or unproductive I'll counsel caution, but won't usually criticize further investigation.

There's no question that comprehending the possibility of the collapse of civilization and being unable to find "a solution" can make one mournful. It is possible to get past that - I've done it, and there are as many techniques as there are individuals. Those who say "eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we die" are the ones who truly deserve to be mocked, however, for unlike those simply made gloomy by an overdose of insight, they are truly blind.

[OKIsItJustMe]

10. By "we" I meant "us." (I hope that clarifies things.) ;-)

I am not so foolish that I believe that we can sit in the front of a boat, and watch the back go under water and have it not affect us.

I posted an article that had to do with people who were making career changes, because they wanted to make a difference. Phantom power's replies, even yours (in jest of course) dealt with a descent into the "dark ages."


New technologies are already improving the lot of the poor in the "developing world" (here's just one example):
http://southasia.oneworld.net/article/view/156244/1/

Bringing the sun into homes of poor

A low cost solar powered Light Emitting Diodes (LED) lantern developed by student members of Engineer’s Without Borders (EWB) chapter of University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and Association for India’s Development (AID) Chapter of JITM has been selected for this year’s Mondialogo award.

Two billion people light their homes with oil lanterns. These lamps produce a miniscule amount of light, but due to their inefficiency are estimated to result in additional consumption of one-third of the total energy used globally for all electrical home lighting, with a disproportionately large corresponding contribution to carbon dioxide and soot emissions.

Almost 800 project proposals from around the world competed for this year’s award aimed at fostering inter-cultural dialogue in solving problems of the developing world. The award is sponsored by UNESCO and Daimler-Chrysler.

In a continuing trend, Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) have recently become more affordable and more power efficient. LEDs operate at low voltages, and have incredible efficiencies at very low power levels (currently over 30 lumens per watt at one watt).

...

I see us tottering between destruction and a possible world-wide renaissance.

[LSK]

3. I have been wondering if an IT worker can get into that business

[GliderGuider]

4. I've been looking for the opportunity to make a switch

As has Ms. GG. There aren't all that many paying opportunities up here in the Great Frozen North. If I wanted to mover to Alberta I could get a tar sands job in a second...

[OKIsItJustMe]

7. Hmmm... I try to limit myself to 4 paragraphs, as per the rules, but perhaps a 5th is in order

...

Since then, her company, Green Careers, has helped thousands of people assess what cause their skills and interests are best suited to—which could be anything from renewable energy to water conservation—and has helped them get hired. Most of her clients come from middle management or higher, and are seeking what she calls a path-of-least-resistance move, "doing something you already know how to do and putting it in the context of the green agenda," she explains.

...

http://www.geocities.com/greencareers/

...

If you would like to discuss how Green Careers could support you in your career transition or job search, please send an email using the link below and Marie will contact you.

e--mail Marie Kerpan [e-mail]
Phone consultation available: 415-389-9803

...

[Fledermaus]

11. Renewable Energy Jobs

Engineering
http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/jobs/home

Senior Applications Engineer
Location: US/Canada
Posted: January 4, 2008
Alpha Technologies, provider of world-class powering solutions, seeks a Senior Applications Engineer.


Solar Power - Sales Engineer
Location: Any City, USA
Posted: December 30, 2007
Are you a successful Sales Engineer with a Solar Power background or interested in Solar Power? Do you enjoy working...

Technical Sales
Location: Home Office USA
Compensation: Base plus commission
Posted: December 27, 2007
AEE Solar Technical Sales reps assist AEE staff and customers with system design, product information, and troubleshooting.

Senior Scientist/Engineer
Location: Seattle, WA
Compensation: DOE
Posted: January 10, 2008
3TIER, a private provider of real-time forecast and assessment products for the renewable energy industry, invites applications for a full-time...

Polysilicon Manufactuing (8 Positions)
Location: Detroit, Michigan
Compensation: >100K/Year Plus Bonus & Equity
Posted: January 10, 2008
We are looking for more experienced engineers and specialists to expand our foreign service team. If you are looking for...

Electromechanical Controls Engineer
Location: Cedar Park, Texas
Compensation: Negotiable
Posted: January 9, 2008
Fallbrook Technologies, Inc. is a fast growing technology research and development company seeking an Electromechanical Controls Engineer to join our...

Aerodynamic Rotor Design Engineer
Location: Austin, Texas
Compensation: Negotiable
Posted: January 9, 2008
Fallbrook Technologies, Inc. is a fast growing technology research and development company currently seeking an Aerodynamic Rotor Design Engineer to...

System Engineer-Wind Power
Location: Austin, Texas
Compensation: Negotiable
Posted: January 9, 2008
Fallbrook Technologies, Inc., a fast growing technology research and development company is currently seeking a System Engineer-Wind Power to join...

Engineering Technician- Wind Power
Location: Cedar Park, Texas
Compensation: Negotiable
Posted: January 9, 2008
Fallbrook Technologies, Inc. is a fast growing technology research and development company currently seeking an Engineering Technician-Wind Power to join...

Civil Works Engineers with the leaders in the renewable energy industry
Location: Middle East - Saudi Arabia
Compensation: As per the experience and the skills
Posted: January 8, 2008
This is an excellant opportunity to work with one of the leading companies in the renewable industry.The position is based in Saudi Arabia.

Electrical Power Systems Engineer
Location: Austin TX
Compensation: $85K to $110K for Sr EE, $60K to $ 75K for Jr EE
Posted: January 7, 2008
Joining Garrad Hassan's Electrical Group will put your career on a solid growth path benefiting from analytic and field exposure...

Commercial Design Engineer
Location: San Luis Obispo, CA
Posted: January 7, 2008
REC Solar is looking for a Design Engineer. This opening will be a full-time position reporting to the Senior Manager...

Solar or Renewable Energy Designer/Engineer- 2 jobs
Location: Tempe, AZ
Compensation: DOE
Posted: December 28, 2007
I need two Solar or Renewable Energy Systems Designers/Engineers. They are requiring experience using a CAD program (They use AutoCAD...

American Associate
Location: All America
Compensation: Unlimited
Posted: December 26, 2007
American Made Solar Systems needing associates to help people upgrade to solar and to train others how to help people...

Thin Film Circuit Designer (Photovoltaics) - HelioVolt
Location: Austin, Texas
Compensation: Negotiable
Posted: December 26, 2007
The person will be responsible for designing thin film photovoltaic devices to be incorporated into solar power generation systems.

Solar Module Packaging and Test Engineer - HelioVolt
Location: Austin, Texas
Compensation: Negotiable
Posted: December 26, 2007
Contact: [e-mail] The Solar Module Packaging & Test Engineer (Environmental Reliability) will be responsible for the design and supplier management of...

Sr. Equipment Design Engineer - HelioVolt
Location: Austin, Texas
Compensation: Negotiable
Posted: December 26, 2007
Design/Develop new process machinery for advanced thin-film solar cell products with external engineering groups. Responsible for supervision, coordination and implementation...

Sr. Solar Cell & Module Mfg Process Engineer
Location: Toledo, Ohio
Posted: December 26, 2007
Responsible for leading a thin film solar cell and module process team, to achieve manufacturing goals of high Quality, Yield,...

Sr. PV Products Engineer
Location: Toledo, Ohio
Posted: December 26, 2007
Responsible for recognizing and developing thin film PV module products to meet markets and customers' demand and requirements.

Sr. Vacuum Equipment Design Engineer
Location: Toledo, Ohio
Posted: December 26, 2007
Responsible for PECVD, Sputtering, other vacuum equipment and parts design for Si, metal, and dielectric thin films deposition for solar...

Engineers ( All Functions)
Location: The majority of these positions are within the United States.
Compensation: Neg.
Posted: December 24, 2007
Our system is in need of qualified Engineers in the following catagories. Electrical, Mechanical, Project Management, Research, Technical Writting and...

Product Development Engineer
Location: Santa Clara, CA
Posted: December 23, 2007
Develop robust and highly reliable components, processes, and products to deliver low cost, highly manufacturable photovoltaic products that provide the...

Energy Engineer
Location: San Diego, CA
Compensation: Commensurate with experience
Posted: December 19, 2007
JOB SUMMARY The Energy Engineer will provide technical support in the development and implementation of regional energy programs including energy efficiency...

Solar Design Engineer, Photovoltaic
Location: Newington CT or San Francisco CA
Compensation: subject to qualification and experience
Posted: December 19, 2007
Conduct site assessments for commercial solar PV project opportunities by reviewing load data, site photos, drawings and other relevant document,...

Solar Design Engineer, Solar Thermal
Location: Newington CT or San Francisco CA
Compensation: subject to qualification and experience
Posted: December 19, 2007
Conduct site assessment for solar thermal project opportunities (domestic hot water, commercial hot water, space heating) by reviewing load data,...

Test Engineer - TM03
Location: Lowell, MA, or Seattle, WA
Compensation: DOE
Posted: December 19, 2007
Design, manage, implement and report on various tests and measurements of wind turbine equipment and meteorological measurement systems.

Field Technician - TM02
Location: Lowell, MA, and Seattle, WA
Compensation: DOE
Posted: December 19, 2007
Develop, build, test, and operate multi-channel mechanical loads measurement system for wind turbines in conjunction with test engineers.

Wind Power Project Engineer - IE02
Location: Seattle, WA, or New England area
Compensation: DOE
Posted: December 19, 2007
Participate in and lead due diligence assessments of proposed and existing wind power facilities for potential investors.

Energy Analyst - IE01
Location: Lowell, MA, or Seattle, WA
Compensation: DOE
Posted: December 19, 2007
This position focuses on analyzing wind resource and other data to develop energy estimates for commercial wind energy projects.

Consulting Engineer - CS01
Location: Seattle, WA, or Lowell, MA
Compensation: DOE
Posted: December 19, 2007
Position involves conducting site assessments, identifying viable wind development areas, preparing feasibility studies, and preparing life-cycle engineering economic analyses....

http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/jobs/home