Where are the Green Collar Jobs?
So where exactly are the Green Collar Jobs are going to come from? This isn’t going to be the answer you’re looking for.
The simple answer is that this will be a slow process. We’re early. So we focus on the technologies first. As the technologies evolve so will the hiring. We believe we actually have to retool entire industries for this to happen. That’s not easy. We believe we also have to invent technologies before the hiring begins.
Defining a Green Collar Job may never happen. For example, when a white-collar worker starts telecommuting, does that mean that their job is now green? Certainly, after all any job that is performed online is green in our opinion. Bits and Bytes have nearly immeasurable amounts of carbon output. Someday, various telecommuting jobs will be classified but right now there’s no discernible difference between a relatively useless video with a hundred-thousand views and a how-to save energy in your home video that gets a few hundred hits. Is either video more mindful of bandwidth and enery consumption? So the larger task of defining green collar jobs is nearly impossible on one hand.
On the other hand, we’re sure that a worker choosing a profession that is intentionally and directly related to harming the environment would not be a green collar job. Think in terms of polluters and some jobs will come to mind.
Still other traditionally blue-collar jobs are turning green. When a power plant burns oil for power and purchases renewable certificates to offset their carbon production, does that make them green? We don’t think so. The good news is being shared by everyone though. Traditional blue collar jobs like mechanics, iron workers and mechanics are including green technologies in their everyday work. Things like less-harmful chemicals, cleaner production processes and new tools are combining to turn blue collar jobs into green collar jobs. Although these jobs may have less impact in the short term, they will create large impact over time.
Promoting Green Collar Technologies and promoting green collar workers is a bit premature, we know. Promoting Green Collar Technologies, we believe, is right on time. Again, we believe the technologies will preceed the hiring. A case in point is H2 Technologies and Insane Cycle Imports. These folks have created a moped that runs on hydrogen. Hydrogen is a renewable fuel and jobs will be created if these units go into mass production. However, many jobs will not be created because these mopeds are 80% original with only about 20% new parts. Actually the hydrogen mopeds can be mass produced with little impact on the production processes. There would most likely be refueling stations like the one we see being considered at NELHA. But probably no new jobs except possibly the person that rides one to work. Do they now sport the green collar? Maybe.
Here’s some additional factors that could affect Green Collar Jobs:
- Renewable Energy Production – Governor Lingle and the Department of Energy have set their sites on 70% renewable energy by 2030. To achieve this goal we need to install more hydro, wind and solar farms. My hunch is that much of this work has been outsourced to the mainland and Oahu. I know the large solar installations in Kona have been done by mainland companies. I suspect The components that make up these systems are also made elsewhere.
- Politics and Government Regulation – Will the government mandate certain technologies? Will they over-regulate other areas causing potential layoffs or plant closures? Will this cause government to grow through new agencies?
- Climate Change – will perspectives on global warming change? What is the tipping point that could cause more people to believe we can change the Earth’s climate? How might this affect our Federal budgets?
