8/9/2019 Where Are the Green Jobs? - MaryAnne Howland

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MARYANNEHOWLAND

WhereAretheGreenJobs?AND ARE OPPORTUNITIES AND TRAINING AVAILABLE FOR ALL?

is next decade will be dened by agrowing phenomenon known as thegreen economy. Today there are titles atcompanies large and small, such as Chiefof Green, Vice President of Right Liveli-hood, and Green Team Director. But tounderstand where the real power of thisphenomenon is, you have to follow themoney, and then get your share.

The Green Phenomenon

e Green Jobs Act was passed as

part of the Energy Independence andSecurity Act of 2007 and authorized$125 million per year in funding totrain workers for jobs in energy eciencyand renewable energy.

e Green Jobs Act denes green jobs as new work for skilled laborers who can install ecient heating andcooling systems and windows, who canretrot homes to save electricity, and

who can build and install solar panels, wind turbines, and other clean-energy

technologies.But the opportunities go beyond theGreen Jobs Act. It is about the globalcompetition to become the leader of aclean-energy economy that is creatinggreen jobs. Green jobs are the new jobsbeing created at a quickening pace incompanies that are investing in sus-tainability. is investment is changingthe way the world does business, fuel-ing innovation, and redrawing newbusiness lines.

Today, most forward-thinking com-panies incorporate green business prac-tices and principles into their corporatefabric. Fortune 500 companies like Pit-ney Bowes have elevated their environ-mental practices to design products to

have a minimal environmental impactat every stage, from manufacturing anddistribution to eventual return and re-

covery, and to provide innovative solu-tions to help customers reduce theirenvironmental impact as well. Motorolaaims to design products to use less ener-gy, to contain environmentally preferredmaterials, and to be highly recyclable.ese policies provide good favor forpublic relations and are a smart way tosave resources and reduce waste to savemillions of dollars. Most in the LOHASspace understand this or are at least pay-ing attention. But how can we increase

these business practices and provide eco-nomic opportunities to minority groups?

Carpe Diem, the early bird, and

no excusesIt is important to recognize that within minority communities, thgreening of America is largely a social-

justice issue. Communities of color areknown as a dumping ground for envi-ronmental waste, and thus there is sig-nicant work that must be done,legislatively, in terms of correcting envi-ronmental injustice. e need for com-munity leaders and activists to leadorganizations to make the kind of

change that will create more sustainablecommunities means education, informa-tion, and grassroots activism. e invest-ment in human capital to lead, to train,and to create enterprise will lead to green

jobs in government, nonprot, and for-prot sectors. Given the commitmentfrom the Obama Administration to en-sure that opportunities from the newgreen economy are available to a broadcross section of the American people,green businesses and green jobs are the

next big opportunity for people of color.La Onda Verda, a nonprot organiza-tion, performs outreach and advocacy onenvironmental issues in the Latin com-munity. e green jobs movement is re-ally benecial to all, says AdriannaQuintero, the groups founder and direc-tor. Not only will green jobs provide usa way of helping the environment, theyare an entirely new economic opportuni-ty for communities that have been his-torically underserved.

WITH AN ECONOMYin turmoil, the idea of reinven-

tion is so right for society Yet how does one reinvent

oneself? is is a most relevant question for the state of

our global union.

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Weatherization, for example, is a nat-ural t for minority communities andLatinos who make up a large part of theconstruction trade to become informed,she continues. e challenge is to besure that were really opening opportuni-ties to everyone and making trainingavailable to all.

But Quintero is also quick to note that

this change is not going to last long. Ifyou look at the tech wave, minority com-munities were not a part of that. eycame in too late to be in the forefront.But if we get the information out therenow, we can help them lead the way.

Roger Rivera is president and founderof the National Hispanic EnvironmentalCouncil (NHEC), and chair of the Na-tional Latino Commission on ClimateChange (NLCCC). What is the eco-nomic message of the green economy? It

puts money in your pocket, says Rivera.He is committed to bridging the gap be-tween opportunity and communities ofcolor. People of color are still horriblyunder-represented at every environmentalagency. Not only in the work force, butparticipation in education programs.

With regard to minority business oppor-tunities, participation is dismalthatneeds to change.

In an eort to catalyze that change,NHEC has created the Minority Youth

Environmental Training Institute totrain the next generation with several en-vironmental education programs. Since2002, NHEC has trained over 1,000people of color who have gone from col-lege to work at federal environmentalagencies or green groups.

Giving green economic options to un-derserved communities was the basis forthe establishment of Van Jones Green for

All organization. Jones is the formerWhite House Advisor for Green Jobs and

author of the New York Times best sellerTe Green Collar Economy. e organiza-tion works to build an inclusive greeneconomy strong enough to lift people outof poverty. Today, Green for All is led byPhaedra Ellis-Lampkin. Green jobs pro-vide a career path. ey support a living

wage and sustain a healthy economy,says Ellis-Lampkin. ey also provideopportunities for new businesses for in-novators. We realize that people of colorneed to be able to innovate.

Stephanie Owens agrees that commu-nities of color are under-engaged. Owensis the EPAs Director of Public Engage-ment and says her department is commit-ted to expanding the conversation toinclude all stakeholders in the future ofthe economy. We are proud of an ad-ministration that is using the recovery todrive the future of energy technology,

says Owens. Everyone isnt in this greenspace. Even if they are, they are only in aportion of it. is is a great space for en-trepreneurs to ll. People who jump inearly and condently are the ones whocan take advantage of it.

Green = Green

is should be a wake-up call for en-

trepreneurs as well as job seekers.Predictions and forecasts from global

economists, industry experts, and futur-ists agree that the green economy has thepotential to create tens of thousands of

jobs, outperforming the dot-com bubble.e dierence this time around may be amore level playing eld for prosperity.Government and private and public com-panies are putting in the money. Greenmanufacturing and green productivityare at the forefront. Jerome Ringo is

banking on it. e former president of Apollo Alliance is currently a senior ex-ecutive of Green Port Biofuels, a climate-solutions company. He recommends, IfIm looking for a new business to go into,Im going green.

e U.S. Department of Energy isalso making signicant investments withmore than $8 billion for weatherizationprojects in local communities. is workinvolves installing new energy-ecient

windows and doors, updating insulation,

and encouraging state and local govern-ments to use more fuel-ecient vehiclesand renewable forms of energy. Incen-tives for switching to clean energy appli-ances and solutions come in the form oftax credits and rebates, helping to stimu-late market demand.

A new idea doesnt require an MBA,Ph.D., Esq., or J.D. International style

doyenne Audrey Smaltz says you justneed an IKWIKI know what I know.Turning what you know into a green en-terprise is priceless. Ringo tells a story ofmeeting such a guts and instincts en-trepreneur who had two old pickuptrucks he had parked in his backyard. Herebuilt them and noticed that the citycame around once a week to clearbranches from his street. e man toldthe city, Let me pick them upnocharge. He found an abandoned ware-

house, rented a grinding machine, andbegan selling the bags of mulch back tothe city to use them for landscaping. Hestarted a green business from nothing.Now he recycles all types of materialsand sells them back to market. He wentgreen and now hes rich, says Ringo.

A green jobs-creation story can befound in Joseph Ramirez. He is the own-er of Viento Solutions, which specializesin engineering and manufacturing windturbines. He plans to have several dier-

ent units that will be produced in NorthCarolina, and government stimulusfunds will be used for engineering, oper-ations, and job creation. Ramirez expectsto create 850 jobs with good salaries.

As a U.S.-based supplier, his companyhas a competitive edge over China, a po-tential competitor. As the worlds second-largest energy consumer, China seeks toreduce its dependence on fossil fuels byinvesting in wind power. We can pro-vide a responsive production line, fast

turnaround, and tech support right herein the U.S., says Ramirez.

As this space matures and becomesmore a part of our lifestyle and culture,opportunities for businesses and jobs willmultiply and become more pervasiveacross industries and within our econo-my. is has created an opportunity fornot only recovery but reinvention. AndPresident Obama has backed it with fullgovernment support.

Continued on page 47 >

PEOPLE OF COLOR are still horribly

under-represented at every

environmental agency. Not only

in the work force, but participation

in education programs. With regard

to minority business opportunities,

participation is dismalthat needs

to change.

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LOHASANDLOHOE< Continued from page 35

WHEREARETHEGREEN...< Continued from page 7

choice. (And while we may plan a smart-

er sprawl, we dont necessarily need tolive in a city to be green.) Buying or-ganic milk is arguably better than buyingregular milkbut with a dierence of upto $5 a gallon, it pits economics againsthealth or societal costs. If we as a society

want to really embrace sustainability, wemust banish the premiums by making allproducts sustainable by design. Until thathappens, people will more often choosethe path of least resistance.

Conclusion:

Is our green glass Half Empty or HalfFull? Its all about perspective and atti-tude. Whether we admit it or not, we all

want the same basic thingenjoymentfrom the products we choose to buy anduse, whether driven by our own personaltastes and interests or a desire to mini-mize our footprint on the planet. Keepin mind that human nature is driven bya desire to feel pleasure and avoid pain,and that even those with the best of in-

tentions are constrained by economic

considerations. An actual societal shift will occu when sustainable options become thnorm, because they meet our needs with-out sacrice. e burden must be shoul-dered by those who manufacture andmarket products and services; consumersshouldnt have to work so hard to do theright thing. LJ

Wendy S. Cobrda, CEO &Co-Founder of Earthsense, is a

veteran of the target marketingindustry who has spent the lasttwenty years building innovative data andconsulting enterprises.

Megan Kovacs is InsightsProduct Manager of Earth-sense and leads efforts formaking Eco-Insights the most

comprehensive study of the green consumer.

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We need to begin by thinking green,

beginning with our own homes and life-styles and practices at our places of busi-ness. On the cusp of a new economy, thedoor is wide open for the next bigidea(s). e small green business of to-day could be the Fortune 100 companyof tomorrow. LJ

MaryAnne Howland is ownerand president of Ibis Commu-nications, an advertising andmarketing solutions rm that

builds bridges between brands and commu-nities of color. They connect consumerswith brands, employers with talent,

purchasers with minority suppliers, andphilanthropists with nonprots. MaryAnneis vice chair of Social Venture Network,Diversity Chair for the American Advertis-ing FederationNashville, and member ofMulticultural Marketing Committee forNational Association for Multi-ethnicity inCommunications, Community Outreach

for Frist Center.