The reality and rhetoric of green jobs
In an article titled “Will Green Jobs Become the New Green Wash?” Joel Makower asks the reader:
“Could it be considered good that everyone is talking about green jobs, even if they don’t necessarily know what that means? Or do we need standards and definitions to help us measure how well we are actually doing it?”
It is important to answer the semantic question, although it is by no means essential for us to define a “green job”. A number of forces are coming together to put under the microscope the true meaning of green jobs and the economic, environmental and social potential they could have.
Redefining “prosperity”
In the United States, Joel’s question presents a unique challenge. In the United States, we “live to work” rather than “work to live.” This way of life is being challenged as environmental challenges mount and force us to rethink our long-term priorities and what we are really working towards. There is a cultural undercurrent that is altering, challenging and avoiding conventional definitions as we face our generational challenge: global warming. Is economic success alone enough, or does it lose relevance as the ability to enjoy a comfortable life is threatened by resource constraints, dramatic weather events, and growing insecurity about what the future of children and adolescents will look like? grandchildren of people?
The potential that people see in green jobs, and perhaps the root of all the excitement and potential for greenwashing, is ultimately finding balance and synergy between their personal, professional, and public lives. “Doing good while doing good,” so to speak, is evolving into the next iteration of the American dream.
The mirage of green jobs?
Al Gore has stated that the coming environmental revolution promises to be bigger than the Industrial Revolution and will happen faster than the Technological Revolution. With such a sea change happening right before our eyes, it is no wonder that we sometimes stare in disbelief: “Is this really happening?” If we cannot define it, let alone see it, does it exist?
Consider these facts from Joel’s article:
o The Apollo Alliance’s New Apollo program proposes a $ 500 billion investment over 10 years to create 5 million green collar jobs in a variety of industries, including renewable energy; energy efficiency; transit and transportation; and research, development and deployment of cutting-edge clean energy technologies.
o The Center for American Progress and the Political Economy Research Institute call for spending $ 100 billion over two years to create 2 million jobs in remodeling buildings, expanding transit and freight rail networks, building a “smart” electricity grid, wind power and next generation solar and biofuels.
o A report prepared by Global Insight for the US Conference of Mayors forecasts that renewable energy generation, building renovations and renewable transportation fuels will together create 1.7 million new jobs by 2018 and an additional 846,000 related engineering, legal, research and consulting positions. That total increases to 3.5 million jobs by 2028 and 4.2 million by 2038.
o A study by the American Solar Energy Society states that the renewable energy and energy efficiency industries accounted for more than 9 million jobs and $ 1.04 billion in revenue in the United States in 2007, 95 percent in private industry and could quickly grow to 37 million. Jobs by 2030: More than 17 percent of all projected employment in the US.
o A report by the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation predicts that a $ 50 billion investment in the smart grid over five years “would create approximately 239,000 new or retained jobs in the US for each of the 5 years on average.” .
“Proposes”, “calls to spend”, “predicts”, “affirms” and “predicts” all characterize the potential of this sector. But the rhetoric has yet to come true, has it?
Green jobs exist, although at the moment they are few and far between. However, we need to understand where we are in the life cycle of the green jobs movement to understand why it is so hard for us to define, identify and land a green job.
Understanding the Revolution
The Industrial Revolution took decades to become universally obvious, let alone earn a name. The technological revolution of the late 20th century took almost 25 years to be labeled, celebrated, despised (thanks to the 2001 bust), and finally understood.
In classical technological thinking, there is an “S” curve that defines the diffusion of a technological product, starting flat with few adopters at first and then increasing steeply for most of the time, until the technology is so ubiquitous that adoption it flattens off because, theoretically, everyone has one. Witness the iPhone explosion: At first only a few techies pay the $ 400 for a first-gen phone, and then as popularity rises, the price drops to the point where apparently everyone carries one.
As with technology and the “S” curve, so is green jobs. We have been in this environmental renaissance for less than 10 years, which may well define a generation. In fact, just a few years ago, Adam Werbach, former president of the Sierra Club, condemned the death of the environmental movement.
“The late David [referring to David Brower, founder of the Sierra Club] The Restoration Vision was a story about how America would come together to rebuild its transportation and industrial base through an alliance that would accelerate our transition to a clean energy future. It was a proposal for a New Deal on clean jobs. It was the most articulate and future-oriented vision he had ever offered. “
Thomas Friedman recently explored the implications of a trillion dollar stimulus package focused on green job creation:
“Imagine what a trillion dollar investment would return to the economy, including ‘streaming’, if we committed to green jobs and green technologies at that level.”
To make green jobs a reality, we will be forced to collectively experiment with new forms of finance, governance and accountability.
In fact, as Friedman notes, “What’s exciting about the energy technology revolution is that it spans the entire economy, from green-collar construction jobs to high-tech solar panel design jobs. It could lift so many ships.” This transition, or rebirth, to a greener future could well be happening everywhere and anywhere.
The shadow of unemployment and the need for government support
Labor markets are in a dynamic process today. Unemployment is rising to double digits in California (9.6 percent today), and the trend continues nationally (now about 7.6 percent). It seems like an unlikely time for the kind of green jobs growth we expect and project.
As the owner of a small green business, Bright Green Talent, we live this reality every day: Green jobs exist, but they are scarcer than the demand. Green jobs are difficult to identify and attract people. The critical reality that job opportunities are dwindling day by day reminds us how much this seems like an illusion.
Supply and demand for green jobs are totally out of control. But is this a surprise given that we are in an early stage of the green jobs adoption “S” curve? The number of pioneer users is large – we are working with almost 10,000 job seekers around the world to find a green career.
On the other hand, the demand for green employees is just starting to grow. Without increased government support for these burgeoning new industries (renewable energy and green building are two good examples), green jobs will remain few and far between. Fortunately, the US administration is calling for green jobs as the path to health, energy independence, and greater prosperity. A clear signal from federal leadership can empower a generation of eco-entrepreneurs to seek profit and preservation simultaneously.
Back to the people
However, as people are forced to reevaluate their career priorities or pursue new careers as they become detached from those they were following, they are coming to the idea of a “green job” in droves.
However, it is not really a “green job” that they want. They do not seek clarity in definitions or a certification that their work is deep green (or bright). Instead, they are looking for a completely new path.
So as to the question of whether and how to measure progress, as Joel suggests, there is some danger in the definition. What would be the effects of telling some people that their jobs are not certifiably “green”? Does the desire to measure progress triumph over the possibility of dissuading people from moving toward this new triple-bottomed dream of prosperity? Who will we exclude and, more importantly, why?
In his speech, Adam Werbach offered that:
“For 30 years, American liberals have defined themselves according to a set of categories of issues that divide us, be they racial, gender, economic, or environmental. We have spent much less time defining ourselves according to values that they unite us, as shared prosperity, progress, interdependence, equity, ecological restoration and equality. “
The definition of “green work” is not as important as the fact that we have created a job market linked to a broader movement for prosperity and ecological restoration and equality in the search for meaningful work. Adam concluded: “We can no longer afford the long list of ‘-isms’ to define and divide our world and ourselves.”
The ray of light
For our benefit, we are approaching a tipping point. Consumers demand environmentally responsible goods and services. Citizens hold governments accountable for air and water quality. Corporations are identifying new sources of income. Governments are regulating what were previously considered externalities.
It won’t happen in a day, or probably even months or years. But acting as a nation, across the public-private spectrum, we can and will realize the illusion of green jobs to find better lives and livelihoods.