May 18th, 2009 (Hilo, Hawai`i) Green Collar Technologies has partnered with Goodwill Industries of Hawai`i to deliver innovative green collar youth training and job program in support of Goodwill’s Ola I Ka Hana Program. Goodwill acts as the employer of record to help the youth earn good wages and credits towards earning their high school diplomas.

“This is just the type of program we believe can have long term impact in our community. Working with youth builds our foundation of sustainability.” said Brent Norris of Green Collar Technologies.

These green collar work / training programs are being facilitated by sustainable living instructors from the recently completed, Sustainable Living Educational Series in Kona, Hawai`i.

Sustainable Gardening expert and biologist, Claudia Ziroli stated, “this is a unique challenge to work with the youngest in our communities that can also benefit the most. We’re helping teach the next generation of sustainability practitioners how to live more self-sufficiently on the island.”

Green Collar Technologies is developing several Summer Youth programs designed to provide safe work environments and green collar training in offline and online sustainability. Youth will work on various projects such as rainwater harvesting, gardening, farming, composting and telecommuting.

Goodwill’s Ola I Ka Hana program offers free services to at-risk youth, ages 15-21, who are out of school. Each participant works to develop an individualized assessment and service strategy. The strategy addresses educational goals, job skills, and employability. Participants also receive job readiness training sessions to focus on resume development, job search and interviewing skills, job applications and career interests. Youth also have the opportunity to have mentors, or paid internships through this program. A primary goal is to assist youth in obtaining their high school diploma.

Green Collar Technologies is a federally recognized, 501c3 operating in Hawai`i. Green Collar Technologies help create, organize, research and develop sustainable initiatives towards creating a global model for sustainability on Hawaii Island.

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Contacts
Bettye S. Williams -Hawaii County Operations Director, Goodwill Industries of Hawaii, Inc., 808-961-0307 x1401, BWilliams@higoodwill.org

Brent Norris – Director, Green Collar Technologies

aloha@greencollartech.com – http://greencollartech.com

Let’s not make smart grids legislation an option in the next session. At a time when infrastructure build-out is on the minds of nearly everyone in County government, let’s seize this opportunity to raise awareness now.

How could HECO / HELCO can help support higher-speeds and proliferate faster connections to the web?

Here’s some resources to help identify and understand the issues:

Smart Grid Solutions to Enable More Renewable Energy
February 02nd, 2009 . 01:06 pm by Devon Manz

Smart Grid Leadership: The Top Ten ‘Smartest’ States in 2009
by: Jesse Berst at greentechmedia.com March 23, 2009

Report: Smart-grid hackers could cause blackouts
by Zoë Slocum

On the Road to a Smart Grid
By KATE GALBRAITH

Smart Grid Spending: “More Than A Game Of Catchup”
Huffington Post | Dave Burdick | March 4, 2009 12:26 PM

Smart Grid Makes The Super Bowl, But Is It Smart Stimulus?
February 02, 2009 03:12 PM ET | Matthew Bandyk

Please redistribute this post.

The passage of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 became effective on December 20th, 2007.

The law is intended to provided 125 million dollars in annual funding. Green Collar Technologies was organized as a 501(c)(3) in January of 2008 to specifically provide sustainability training in accordance with the provisions of Title Ten of the Act, aka the Green Jobs Act of 2007.

Official titling of the act:

1. H.R.6 : An Act to move the United States toward greater energy independence and security, to increase the production of clean renewable fuels, to protect consumers, to increase the efficiency of products, buildings, and vehicles, to promote research on and deploy greenhouse gas capture and storage options, and to improve the energy performance of the Federal Government, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Rahall, Nick J., II [WV-3] (introduced 1/12/2007)      Cosponsors (198) 
Committees: House Ways and Means; House Natural Resources; House Budget; House Rules; House Transportation and Infrastructure 
Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 110-140 [GPO: Text, PDF]
Note: Omnibus energy legislation.

We put an unrevised version of Title X of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 in it’s entirety here.

Since our last update we have provided Green Jobs training through our Sustainable Living Educational Series held on each Thursday evening during the month of July. Four different instructors, provided 5 different classes on topics such as permaculture, solar / off-grid power systems, rainwater harvesting, alternative energy power systems and sustainability 101. Class evaluations were very positive. The next series is scheduled for November.

In July 2008, Green Collar Technologies partnered with the Sustainable Living Institute, another Hawai`i-based 501(c)(3) organized in 1994. Daniel Morii, Director of the Sustainable Living Institute has joined our board of advisors. 

We have presented for the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations Workforce Development Divison and we have met with Goodwill Industries to learn about their possible need for our services. These discussions are on-going.

Next week, we’re providing digital marketing classes to help local business and we continue to expand our efforts to help strengthen Hawai`i’s digital economies by providing monthly classes to our Sustainable Web Community which we founded a couple years ago with the Big island Adobe User Group. This online niche community will be powered online by a green web server, the first of it’s kind at the Natural Energy lab in Kona. We owe special thanks to NELHA and specifically, Mark McGuffie and Judith Fox-Goldstein for making this project possible. 

We are currently in discussion with the County Research and Development Department. Three specifc outcomes are targeted.

1. Provide our Sustainable Living Educational Series, in Kona and Hilo. These same classes island-wide. 
2. Conduct research into Green Jobs on Hawai`i Island. 
3. Organize and produce “RainFest” as part of the County Product Enrichment Program. sponsorship with the Hawai`i Tourism Authoriy. This is particularly interesting as it supports a separate act within the Energy Independence and Security act entitled, “Marine and Hydrokinetic Renewable Energy Research and Development Act.”

Join us Saturday September 27th at the Hawai`i Innovation Center in downtown Hilo (Map and Directions). Expect plenty of room and bandwidth to setup your laptops and spread out in the classroom. No laptop? Bring pencil and paper.

Several Free short courses will be given on the following topics:

• Sustainability 101 – Learn how to live a more sustainable life on Hawai`i Island.
• Google Apps (Celelbrating Google’s 10th Anniversary)
• Using the web as a platform to become sustainable (Small business success in “the cloud”)

Experienced sustainability and technology workers will be on hand to answer your questions about the emerging green economy. Any-Collar and No-Collar workers are all invited to join this co-working event. You’re welcomed to bring food and drinks to support the cause. Come lend your sustainability expertise to those in need. Help support Green Jobs and employment on Hawai`i Island.

Presented by Green Collar Technologies with support from the Apollo Alliance and GreenforAll.org.

From GreenforAll.org,

On Saturday, September 27, 1Sky, Green for All and the We Campaign are joining with tens of thousands of Americans for Green Jobs Now: A Day to Build the New Economy. People of all backgrounds are organizing Green Jobs Now events, with a special focus on low-income communities and communities of color.  Whether it’s an intimate house party or a giant rally, your event can keep the pressure on our leaders to build a new, clean economy that begins to heal the planet and ensures prosperity for all.

Anyone interested in supporting this event or Green Collar Workers on Hawai`i Island should contact Brent Norris at Green Collar Technologies : 808-896-7656

>> Get Email Updates <<

Very quickly, you’ll learn how to write your first post and page in a blog and how to optimize your content so it’s easy to find in search engines. You’ll learn search engine optimization techniques and rich media promotion. You’ll learn some blog etiquette and how to interact with other blogs to become sustainable using the web as a platform.

Cost is $25 bucks for non-members. For more information and to pre-register, call Brent at 896-7656.

All attendees must preregister! Mahalo

Sponsored by The University of Hawai`i at Hilo Conference Center

Post a Job! $25 for 45 days

Hawai`i Green Blogs

• SusHi – Sustainability in Hawai`i. We love this site. Lots of posts, good reading. A bit heavy on the climate change debate. Well intentioned with lots of supporting links.
• Life Of The Land (Hawai`i) – Hawai`i-based, Hawai`i-focused environmental and community action group. This blog has a solid focus on bringing awareness to green issues within the energy community in Hawai`i.
• HaHaHa Hamakua Springs Country Farm – Richard Ha is always giving good perspective on issues in sustainability. His no-nonsense approach is refreshing and takes an honest look from his own experiences of being green in Hawai`i.

Green Blogs Not Based in Hawai`i

• Best Green Blogs – This site lists a lot of blogs. I couldn’t find any listed when I searched for Hawai`i or Big Island.
• Busines Green – Busy with lots of stuff to read from Incisive Media.
• Unsuitablog – Exposing Environmental Hypocrites Everywhere!

Hawai`i Related Static Website Resources (not blogs)

• Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative on the U.S. Department of Energy EERE Project Management Website
• Recycle Hawai`i – the single best resource we’ve found on Hawai`i Island recycling efforts.

Miscellaneous

The Apollo Alliance is a coalition of business, labor, environmental, and community leaders working to catalyze a clean energy revolution in America to reduce our nation’s dependence on foreign oil, cut the carbon emissions that are destabilizing our climate, and expand opportunities for American businesses and workers.

Inspired by the vision and technological achievements of the Apollo space program, we promote policies and initiatives to speed investment in clean energy technology and energy efficiency, put millions of Americans to work in a new generation of well-paid, green collar jobs, and make America a global leader in clean energy products and services.

 

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