Building a Green Economy
As President-Elect Barack Obama names his cabinet members and economic recovery team, I am also proud of his inclusion of Green Economic prospects. In fact, the buzz of Green Jobs is in the air, literally on NPR.
Van Jones Forecasts Green Job Revolution – News & Notes
A Green New Deal? – On Point
Green Careers are any of those jobs that are involved in making our lives sustainable and eco-friendly. It includes labor jobs such as installing solar panels, building windmills, green retro-fitting homes and business as well as college-level jobs natural resources management, environmental consultation, and green engineering. It really is a NEW Economy we are creating that could potentially make the United States energy independent and reduces our nation’s environmental footprint.
How does it start? In some ways the Green Revolution already has.
Organizations like Green For All and Repower America are running an amazingly successful social marketing campaign to get us all to rethink our lives. On a local level, an organization like Green Works in Kansas City is how we actually prepare people for the green work force.This organization introduces young adults to urban environmental science issues in Kansas City and promotes Green Collar job opportunities for inner-city youth. A flagship program of Green Works KC is ECOS - Environmental Stewardship and Workforce Development. Students explore environmental science topics like water filtration, public sewage and waste management, urban deforestation, recycling, and other environmental matters that impact their city.They get a hands-on education and internship-opportunities that translate to real job skills.I think it is a great model for agencies and organizations interested in Green Collar Job development.
What Green Career opportunities are all the buzz in your city?
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i like the idea of including socio-economic status. not quite sure the embedded inequities have been overcome re: race yet. 
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Comment by Kate Corwin on 30 November 2008:
Kansas City will soon undertake a $4B sewer and storm water project. We have mounting air quality issues, diminishing landfill space and we need to plant 120k trees in the next 10 years. All of these projects will require a local skilled workforce including water treatment operators, pipe fitters, tree care, waste management and air quality technicians. And who better to fill these jobs than the young women and men who live in some of our most distressed neighborhoods - the same neighborhoods that suffer the most from environmental distress.
Many of these jobs are middle-skill jobs that require more training than a high school degree, but less than a four-year college degree – certainly well within reach of our young urban population. And middle-skill jobs provide a living wage, a wage that can support a family, support the purchase of a home and break the cycle of poverty.
Employment in the growing green economy can offer so much to our young people – a career path with advancement opportunities, a chance to break the cycle of poverty, homeownership and employment that results in a greener and healthier urban environment.