The Green Revolution

It is not surprising to see green collar jobs making its debut in an overwhelmingly changing global economy. They are the dot.com versions of a highly evolved, technology driven, renewable-energy and energy-efficient industry that could grow to as many as 40 million jobs by 2030, according to a report by the American Solar Energy Society. Whatever the reason for this green jobs evolution, i.e., switching careers for higher paychecks, acquiring and developing green skills or awakening an inner passion for saving Mother Earth, private industry is outperforming government in a sprinting race to save the Planet, and of course making plenty of money in the process.

As I strolled in to work this week, I caught up with work announcements calling for a greener work environment. I work in a government building in Capitol Hill, where the average employee is a middle class citizen, and gets its benefits, commute, childcare, and savings plan subsidized by an out-of-touched government. My husband on the other hand, works for an architectural design firm, where employees are encouraged to take mass transportation in an effort to be more socially conscious. In fact, industries like construction, finance and marketing are pioneering the movement towards a greener lifestyle, and this output has translated into half a dozen or so other industries following their lead.

But in my office, computers are not turned off, lights are on 24/7, and copy paper is a renewable resource. In fact, while many residential and office buildings across the US, including some government buildings, are going green; this turn of the century, vault of wisdom and American values institution, which has been retrofitted twice, still uses incandescent light bulbs, and recycles very little.

People like Al Gore, a private industry individual, have put global warming in the forefront of our public policies concern, but now it’s the government’s turn: The new tenant of the White House has to cast this government in a leadership role and turn this race into an economic advantageous pursuit as well as a humanitarian gain.