Q: I’m hearing a lot these days about green collar jobs.
Since my son is just about to finish high school, we’re wondering if there’s a
real future in this area or is it just hype. And what exactly is a green job and
how does one go about getting one...or at least training for it?
A: First of all, there is no finite definition of the term
“green job” and the field is subject to its own style of greenwashing. (See
Natural Life, May/June 2008 for a definition of “greenwashing.”) Presumably, the
term would refer to jobs that contribute to solving the climate change problem.
It is most often used to describe positions in “natural” or “organic” (other
problematic words) consumer products and services, renewable energy and
environmental conservation. But as sustainability has become more popular, we
see any job in those fields being called “green” – including those such as
administrative assistant, marketing representative and computer programmer,
which require no special “green” training.
We think that’s actually a good thing, since we all need to think green and
every worker should be integrating sustainability practices into every job. It
makes it difficult to sort out what is and isn’t a green job, but perhaps that
doesn’t really matter!
The definition of “green collar job” is a bit simpler, since it refers to the
eco version of what we normally call “blue collar jobs.” That means an auto
assembly line worker might become a wind turbine mechanic. And that person would
obviously require special training.
There is a sense developing among some policy makers that to be truly green, a
job must play a role in building a sustainable economy. And that includes not
just environmental quality and general economic prosperity, but a reduction in
poverty, inequality and discrimination. The 2008 Green Collar Jobs in America’s
Cities report by Green for All and its partner the Apollo Alliance
(www.apolloalliance.org) put it this way: “If a job improves the environment,
but doesn’t provide a family supporting wage or a career ladder to move
low-income workers into higher skilled occupations, it is not a green-collar
job.”
For instance, employment in industries such as recycling...
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Wendy Priesnitz is
the Editor of Natural Life Magazine and a journalist with over 30
years of experience. She has also authored nine
books.
Read her
blog.
