A brief overview of what "green jobs" are, why they are a part of our future, and what it takes to get them. Includes Resources.

1. Green Careers… What are they? Presented by:Jason CasconeDirector of Career DevelopmentStudent Success Services, C.W. Post For the 2009 Honors Symposium, C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University

2. Agenda What is a “Green Career”? Why are Green Careers in the news? Is there a green job for me? Resources

3. What is a “Green Career”? Green Careers have the goal of supporting: Energy Efficiency– All changes that result in a reduction in the energy used for a given energy service (heating, lighting...) or level of activity. (World Energy Council) Environmental Sustainability– [Managing the environment to meet] the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. (World Commission on Environment and Development)

4. Why Green Jobs, Why Now? Green Jobs Act of 2007 $120 million a year available across the country to begin training workers for jobs in the clean energy sector. American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) Intended to provide a stimulus to the U.S. economy in the wake of the economic downturn Assigns billions of dollars to stimulating green jobs and initiatives The US Conference of Mayors said that an economy that shifts to generating 40% of its energy from wind, solar, biomass, and other fuels will generate 4.2 million green jobs by 2038(The Green Blog, accessed 5/12/09: http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/green/greenblog/2008/10/why_green_jobs_are_our_future.html) The Political Economy Research Institute at UMass estimates that $150 billion invested per year for 10 years will create 2.5 million green jobs( The Green Blog, accessed 5/12/09: http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/green/greenblog/2008/10/why_green_jobs_are_our_future.html)

5. Not only that but… Increased focus on the environment Consumer attention to “going green” and reducing one’s personal “carbon footprint” Talk of reducing dependency on foreign oil

6. What is Being “Greened”? 5 industries are identified as being highly susceptible to “greening”: Transportation Alternative fuel and reduced fuel consumption, pollution output Fuels Discovering and developing clean and renewable energy sources Utilities The provision of clean and renewable energy sources Construction Use of clean and renewable materials and environmentally conscious development (LEED - Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Manufacturing Efficient and clean manufacturing processes

7. Is There a Green Job for Me? An initial impression and media attention is aimed at green jobs being modified blue collar jobs Example: Installation, manufacturing, maintenance, etc. One may infer that green jobs will be scientific research jobs Example: Development of alternative energy sources THE GREEN COLLAR JOB

8. What is a Green Collar Job? ACCORDING TO THE APOLLO ALLIANCE A green-collar job can be anything that helps put America on the path to a cleaner, more energy efficient future. “It has to 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 needsto reduce waste and pollution and benefit theenvironment…You don't want to call something a green-collar job that doesn'thave the wages or background to support it.” (Time, accessed 5/12/09: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1809506,00.html)

9. Is this just a fad? New York Times (2007) called Green Collar jobs “outsource immune” Is there going to be a “Green Jobs Bubble” that will burst like the “dot.com Bubble” in 2000? Consumer sentiment drives company policy Green is more mainstream than the Internet Clean energy and energy independence seems to be here to stay There may be a bubble that will burstlike all the other bubbles. But the trend will remain.

10. 10 Best Green Jobs for the Next Decade Fast Company accessed 5/15/09: http://www.fastcompany.com/articles/2009/01/best-green-jobs.html?page=0%2C1 Farmer Sustainable agriculture requires small-scale, local, organic methods rather than petroleum-based machines and fertilizers, there is a huge need for more farmers -- up to tens of millions of them, Modern farmers are small businesspeople who must be as skilled in heirloom genetics as marketing. Related careers: Farmers Market and Community Supported Agriculture coordinator Forester Modern forestry is a complex combination of international project finance, conservation and development. Foresters help local people transition from slash-and-burn to cultivation of higher-value, faster-growing species for fruit, medicine or timber, for example while carefully documenting the impact on the environment. Companies/organizations: The Nature Conservancy; New Forests Inc. Solar Power Installer Making and installing solar power systems already accounts for some 770,000 jobs globally. Installing solar-thermal water heaters and rooftop photovoltaic cells is a relatively high-paying job--$15 to $35 an hour — for those with construction skills. Companies: Akeena Solar; Sungevity; Sunpower; Full list at SEIA.org.

11. 10 Best Green Jobs for the Next Decade (continued) Wind Turbine Fabricator Wind is the leading and fastest-growing source of alternative energy with over 300,000 jobs worldwide. Companies: Vestas; Siemens; GE Energy Conservation Biologist The urgent quest to preserve the integrity of ecosystems around the world leads to opportunities in teaching, research and fieldwork for government, nonprofits, and private companies. Green MBA and Entrepreneur A recent report by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Mayors Climate Protection Center found that business services like legal, research and consulting account for the majority of all green jobs -- over 400,000. This includes everything from marketing to the LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) segment, to serving as a VP of sustainability within a large company, to piloting a green startup like Method or Recyclebank.

12. 10 Best Green Jobs for the Next Decade (continued) Recycler The total number of recycling jobs in the United States is at more than 1 million, according to recent reports. Although the market for paper and plastic has slowed down recently due to the economic downturn, demand for steel is still strong -- 42 percent of output came from scrap in 2006 -- and recycling remains the economical alternative to high disposal fees. New laws and regulations are also creating a need for specialized companies that can close the loop by recycling and repurposing e-waste, clothing, plastic bags, construction waste, and other materials. Companies: Rumpke; Greenstar North America. Sustainability Systems Developer The green economy needs a cadre of specialized software developers and engineers who design, build, and maintain the networks of sensors and stochastic modeling that underpin wind farms, smart energy grids, congestion pricing and other systems substituting intelligence for natural resources. Coders with experience using large scale enterprise resource planning have an edge here, as well as developers familiar with open source and web 2.0 applications. Companies: IBM, V2Green, WindLogics

13. 10 Best Green Jobs for the Next Decade (continued) Energy Efficiency Builder Greening the US building stock will take not only skilled architects and engineers, but a workforce of retrofitters who can use spray foam insulation and storm windows to massively improve the R-value (thermal resistance) of the draftiest old houses Urban Planner Urban and regional planning is a linchpin of the quest to lower America's carbon footprint. Strengthening mass transit systems, limiting sprawl, encouraging use of bicycles and deemphasizing cars is only part of the job. Equally important is contingency planning, as floods, heat waves and garbage creep become increasingly common problems for metropolises. Employment in this sector is projected to grow 15 percent by 2016, and the jobs are mainly in local governments, which make them a slightly safer bet for the downturn.

14. Is That All? Corporations are, and have been, building environmental strategies – corporate social responsibility They need strong communicators to get the word out They are joining forces with environmental groups Coca-cola and Greenpeace – CFC free refrigeration Chiquita Banana and The Rainforest Alliance – improving labor practices in Latin America Liaisons are needed to manage the business-environment interface Data Collection and Analysis – IT, geography, statistics, economics, environmental and biological science Running the business – Accounting, finance, managers, HR, sales and marketing

15. Is That All? Ecotourism – finding environmental and energy friendly way to run the hospitality industry Complementary Healthcare – acupuncture, massage therapy, natural remedies, detoxification and nutritional counseling Legal Careers – environmental law Green Chemistry – Research to reduce the use of hazardous materials Eco Education – Sustainability coordinators (a new job title) for educational facilities Carbon Trader – Buying and selling ‘carbon credits’ Eco- investing – researching and making recommendations to invest in eco-friendly companies that can use money to grow Corporate Climate Strategist – helps companies become carbon neutral Green Recruiter – placement agent to fill green jobs Environmental Banker – banking and loans for green businesses

16. Besides basic skills… …you need values Motivation to “make the world a better place” Recognition that “the earth is a community that must be respected and sustained” Candidates need to be specific in their interests Be involved in professional associations and organizations in that field Prove a commitment to environmental conservation in your personal life

17. Organizations Apollo Alliance International Ecotourism Society Green Hotels Association American Planning Association National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine Earthjustice EcoVentures International Social Venture Network Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms

18. NY Area Green Companies and Organizations (Sample) KPMG – Accounting, NY and LI Green initiatives include paper reduction and reduction of energy consumption Sustainable South Bronx – Not-for-Profit Community Action, NYC created to address policy and planning issues like land use, energy, transportation, water, waste, education, and, most recently, design and manufacturing in the South Bronx Eastern Energy Systems, Inc., Clean Energy, LI Clean Energy (wind power) installation NBC Universal, Entertainment, NYC Environmental entertainment production and integrated education Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Government, NYC

19. Internships for Students and New Grads Environmental Leadership Program www.elpnet.org Green Corps www.greencorps.org The National Council for Science and the Environment www.ncseonline.org Student Conservation Association www.thesca.org

20. Green Job Boards GreenJobs.com Idealist.org Treehugger.com Netimpact.org CoolClimate.org CleanTechies.com CareersinWind.com www.icleiusa.org – Local Governments for Sustainability

21. Summary Experts say that green collar jobs are here to stay – the bubble may burst but the trend will remain Green jobs can be found in every industry and can be related to new technologies, process, business practices, information usage It is in vogue to be “green” – good research by the job seeker will ID what companies and organization are green and what shade of greenthey are Know what you want to do and seta foundation of skills and reputation to succeed Live a green life – show green core values

22. Thank you! Email me at: jason.cascone@liu.edu For a “green” e-copy of this presentation…(And promise not to print it!)