Eco-Libation

According to wine writer Tyler Colman, Ph.D., who blogs at DrVino.com, upwards of 90 percent of American wine is produced on the West Coast, and then shipped to the East Coast, where the majority of wine consumers live. He notes that almost half the weight of an ordinary case of wine is from the bottles, whereas 95 percent of the weight of a case of boxed wine is the liquid. Colman concludes that switching to wine in a box for the 97 percent of wines that are made to be consumed within a year would reduce associated greenhouse gas emissions by about 2 million tons, the equivalent of removing 400,000 cars from our roads.

Sources: Emagazine.com; BetterWinesBetterWorld.com (lists bag-in-box brands).

Donated Dollars
Charity Navigator Guides Intelligent Giving
’Tis always the season for lending a helping hand, and it’s vital that we place our hard-earned financial support with worthy causes who use our dollars wisely. Charity Navigator is a good first stop. It’s the nation’s largest and most popular guide to the objective evaluation of more than 5,300 American charities. At CharityNavigator.org, we’ll find user-friendly assessments of an organization’s financial health, insightful articles on industry trends, and tips for effective giving. Their findings clearly signal who is doing a good job and who is not.

The researchers have done a good chunk of our homework for us; they even verify each charity’s commitment to keeping donors’ personal information confidential, to help them avoid becoming victims of mailing list appeals. Check out their “Top 10 Best Practices of Savvy Donors.” The site is easily navigable by charity name, location or type of activity.

Integrated Medicine & Nutrition Brings Concierge Practice 
to NYC

Dr. Michael B. Wald and Dr. Nilay Shah of Integrated Medicine of Mount Kisco have additionally brought their practice to New York City with the opening of new offices at 48 West 68th Street. Integrated Medicine & Nutrition offers Concierge Medicine to their patients. Concierge Service is relatively new in the U.S. and offers unique services to patients. Dr. Wald and Dr. Shah appreciate the balance of traditional medical and complimentary medical approaches for the prevention and treatment of all varieties of health issues.

Their mission is to be their patients’ trusted source for wellness. To accomplish this goal, they see fewer patients, maximizing time spent with each person.  Individualized attention is an extremely rare commodity in health care today and the Integrated Medicine & Nutrition Physicians ensure each patient has enough time to fully express health concerns and goals. They also provide lifestyle education in a practical and individualized style, always with the goal of teaching their patients how to get and stay healthy.

As Director of Nutritional Services, Dr. Michael B. Wald provides detailed and highly specific consultations and recommends appropriate tests to assess nutritional needs. Dr. Wald’s training allows him to incorporate medical health history, nutritional tests and dietary recommendations into a holistic, comprehensive program that addresses each person’s health concerns. Dr. Nilay Shah, Director of Medical Services, combines traditional medical training with a ‘nutritional and holistic spin,’ ensuring his patients receive a wide range of health care options – including those from both natural and conventional medicine.

Appreciating the diverse needs and schedules of New Yorkers, Integrated Medicine & Nutrition has 24-hour accessibility for scheduling and rescheduling and can arrange special appointments on off-hours or weekends and will even come to your home, for an additional fee.  Dr. Shah and Dr. Wald look forward to becoming New Yorker’s gateway for internal medicine, neurologic and nutrition expertise.

To celebrate their NYC launch, Integrated Medicine & Nutrition is offering complimentary 15-minute consultations. For more information about services or appointments call 914-242-8844 or visit their website: intmedny.com.

Santa’s Reindeer
Vast Antlered Herds are Fast Growing Thin
Disruptions in climate and its consequences in diminishing food sources and rising pest populations are believed to be behind precipitous drops of caribou herds circling the planet’s arctic rooftop from Alaska and Canada to Siberia.

A global survey by researchers at the University of Alberta, published in Global Change Biology, reports that 34 of 43 monitored herds have declined an average 57 percent from maximum numbers of recent decades. Human populations who rely on the migrating animals as a primary food source are also in jeopardy.
This year, the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society launched a public video campaign to fight logging and road-building that is further threatening woodland caribou in Quebec, Manitoba and Ontario.

Canadian citizens are making their voices heard via a companion letter campaign at CaribouAndYou.ca.

Green Halloween

Tricks for Earth-Friendly Treats
The scariest aspects of Halloween are the unhealthy sugar overload and disposable waste in costumes, decorations and pumpkins left to rot. Ranking second only to Christmas as America’s best-loved holiday in a FamilyFun.com poll, Halloween started going green across the country last year with the help of a grassroots, volunteer-run initiative on the Web at GreenHalloween.org.

While the movement started in Seattle in 2007, spreading to New York City and Phoenix, neighborhood, school and community groups around the United States and Canada are now getting in on the act. Founder Corey Colwell-Lipson is behind the move to get people to “think outside the candy box.” Thousands are logging on for start-to-finish ideas for staging local eco-Halloween festivities.

One twist is to substitute alternative keepsakes like yarn bracelets, seed packets, polished stones, organic fruit leathers and foreign stamps instead of candy. A 2003 Yale University study found that nearly half of young trick-or-treaters picked a small toy over candy when given the choice. Another option is reverse trick-or-treating, an initiative of Global Exchange, where kids hand out free samples of fair trade chocolate with an informational card on the benefits of supporting fair practices in the cocoa industry (search trick-or-treat at GlobalExchange.org).

Europe Leads
International Support for Small Farmers and Artisans
Although fair trade is still modest in scope, given the factors of smart product design, business strategies and economies of scale, Europeans are proving that it can be a viable market, even in recessionary times. More than 70 percent of the British populace, for example, now recognizes the fair-trade mark, while just 28 percent of U.S. consumers do, according to a recent survey by the Fairtrade Foundation.

More, one in four UK shoppers now regularly buy several fair trade products, while fewer than 6 percent of Americans could even name a fair-trade organization.

Fair trade is based on the principle of paying workers a fair price for sustainable products. Damien Sanfilippo, a cotton project manager with the international Pesticide Action Network, points out yet another benefit: “Fair trade can provide a stepping stone for [Third World] farmers to convert to organic, because it’s easier to become fair-trade certified,” he says. “Once they have access [to higher fair-trade prices], they can decide to use the premium to finance the training that they need to move towards more sustainable practices—all the way up to organic.”

Source: The Christian Science Monitor

Climate Treaty
Why 350 is the Most Vital Number on Earth
Grassroots activists around the globe will rally October 24 to try to convince negotiators wrapping up the United Nations global climate treaty this December to target 350 parts per million as the safe upper limit for greenhouse gases. It’s the number, say leading scientists, like James Hansen, Ph.D., and his colleagues at NASA, that humanity needs to cut back to as soon as possible to avoid runaway climate change.

The 2008 atmospheric loading hit 387 ppm, according to the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii. That’s up almost 40 percent since the Industrial Revolution and the highest for at least the last 650,000 years.
More than 1,350 grassroots events in 98 countries are gearing up to make a meaningful statement on this Global Day of Climate Action. Everyone is invited to join this necessary call to action to arrest Earth’s climate emergency.

To find or schedule a local event on October 24, visit 350.org.

Savvy Students
Colleges Demonstrate Environmental Literacy
The Princeton Review’s second annual ranking of “Green Colleges” shows that schools are responding to rising demand for eco-conscious academic environments. This year, 697 institutions of all sizes participated in the green rankings, from Ivy League universities to small, private colleges.
David Soto, the magazine’s director of college rankings, notes that while paying for college is a top worry for students and parents, environmental concerns are right behind that. A quarter of students and nearly a fifth of parents attest that an institution’s commitment to the environment would “very much” impact their choice of a college or university. Comments Soto: “They know they need these skills to get a job in the green economy.”

Source: GreenBiz.com

Easy Access  Green Info to Go
Anyone tired of wading through websites and blogs trying to locate that one bit of information that will answer their question about which is the better way to go green will appreciate GreenYour.com. Categories include home, office, body, lifestyle and transportation. But that’s only the beginning. Inquirers can simply type in the query of the moment and voilá, up comes brief, well-organized bulleted lists of easy-to-understand tips and insight on the topic. Plus, in some cases, bonus comments by helpful bloggers.

Green Royals

Long Live the Green Ruling Families Around the World Grist.org has posted its picks for rulers who are leveraging “their media magnetism and sovereign sway to draw attention to a variety of eco-causes.” These leaders are helping to green their homelands, counter climate change and make sure the cake we’re eating is organic, too. Initiatives range from support for healthy ocean, rainforest and wildlife populations to sustainable energies to high-quality food, water and air.

Royals leading the way include: Prince Charles of England; Princess Basma bint Ali of Jordan; Prince Albert II of Monaco; Princess Lalla Hasnaa of Morocco; Princess Takamado of Japan; Princess Chulabhorn Walailak of Thailand; Prince Hassan Bin Talal of Jordan; Queen Elizabeth II of England; Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand; and King Carl Gustaf of Sweden.

For more information visit Grist.org and search “10 green royals.”

Opt Out
Stop Junk Mail at its Source
The average American adult receives 41 pounds of junk mail a year, even though, as Newsweek reports, polls show that 89 percent of us prefer not to receive direct-marketing mail; 44 percent of it is never opened. Opposition from the U.S. Postal Service and the Direct Marketing Association has so far helped defeat passage of any Do Not Mail legislative relief in 19 states.

Low-cost initiatives like 41Pounds.org ($41 for five years includes a $15 eco-cause donation) and StoptheJunkMail.com ($20 a year) are coming to citizens’ rescue with services that solve 80 to 95 percent of the problem for us. Do-it-yourself types also can make it happen using how-to tips courtesy of The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse at PrivacyRights.org/fs/fs4-junk.htm, with an assist from OptOutPrescreen.com and CatalogChoice.org.

Nationwide annual benefits of getting out from under junk mail include: preventing production of greenhouse gases equal to the emissions of 9 million cars; destruction of the 100 million trees and use of 28 million gallons of freshwater it takes to produce 4 million tons of junk mail; $550 million in transportation costs; paper waste comprising 40 percent of the U.S. landfill load; and $320 million in local taxes spent on junk mail disposal. That is not to mention the estimated 350 hours each household spends sorting and shredding it to protect against identity theft and fraud.

For more tips, visit BigGreenPurse.com and search “control catalog overload.”

Sustainable Consumer
Green Becoming a Tiebreaker 
in Shopping Decisions
A 2009 Grocery Manufacturers Association survey at 11 national chains found that more than half the shoppers interviewed consider green attributes when making purchases. Yet, less than half of the shoppers who were there looking for green products actually found them; only 22 percent of the 6,400 people surveyed ended up buying green products. Researchers concluded that grocers need to do a better job of educating shoppers and promoting green products in stores.

Other key statistics also emerged: About 2 percent of those surveyed classify themselves as committed to buying products based on sustainability attributes whenever possible; 18 percent consider themselves proactive in weighing environmental factors with other values; while sustainable products influence 34 percent, all other things being equal. On the flip side, a third of shoppers were unsure or neutral about eco-attributes and 13 percent rejected or didn’t know anything about going green.

More Student Farmhands Go Organic
More liberal arts students seeking an academic break, meaningful work or training and engagement in social change are headed to farms this summer. It’s a way to act on their growing enthusiasm for locally raised food, concerns over food safety and the environmental impact of conventional agriculture.
The New York Times reports that interest in summer farm work among college students has never been so high, according to dozens of farmers, university professors and people who coordinate agricultural apprenticeships. Katherine L. Adam, of the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service, says that 1,400 farms sought interns this year; that’s almost triple the number 2 years ago.
Stipends are generally modest, with room and board included. Academic credits may also be offered.

Find internship directories by state at organicvolunteers.com and attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/internships.

Groundbreaking Films
New Wave of Movies with a Message
Food, Inc. by filmmaker Robert Kenner, opening this summer, lifts the veil from our nation’s food industry. It exposes the highly mechanized underbelly hidden from consumers with our government’s consent. “Our nation’s food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations,” the movie notes. “We also have new strains of e-coli, widespread obesity particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults.”

Fuel, an award-winning production 11 years in the making by activist/director Josh Tickell, that has been touring schools and town halls around the country, tracks the rising domination of the petrochemical industry. Then it reveals a gamut of available solutions to re-power America with sustainable, clean energy sources.

The Story of Stuff, a 20-minute online video by activist Annie Leonard, is a simple, stark assessment of how much stuff Americans waste, which is proving popular in classrooms. It spells out the disastrous environmental consequences of a consumer-driven economy and lists 10 ways to use less stuff.
 
Learn more at FoodIncMovie.com (includes online petition); TheFuelFilm.com; and TheStoryofStuff.com.

Eco Spoilsports
U.S. Consumers Rank Last Worldwide
Again in 2009, Americans as a whole came in at the bottom of National Geographic’s Greendex survey, which scores consumer progress toward environmentally sustainable consumption in 17 countries. Yet, we maintain a stronger-than-average 
belief that an individual’s environmental efforts can make a difference.
Survey responses indicate that Americans are less concerned about the environment than those polled in the other countries. In particular, they are less likely than average to feel that their personal lifestyle is harmful or to feel guilty about their environmental impact. They also are less likely to feel that environmental problems are bad for their health or to agree that global warming will worsen their way of life. Meanwhile, they insist on driving alone daily and in large vehicles, while being least likely to use public transportation or to walk or bike to destinations.
Still, Americans exhibited some incremental improvements in housing, goods and food categories the past year. These included keeping heating/cooling settings on low, laundering in cold water, using their own bags in stores and preferring to repair, rather than replace, broken items.
Food is the only category monitored in which Americans aren’t dead last, ranking 13th out of 17 countries. Factors contributing to their biggest improvement of the year include eating locally grown foods several times a week and drinking less bottled water. Americans also continue to be relatively infrequent consumers of imported foods.
 
For details, visit NationalGeographic.com/greendex.

Country Life
Where to Have Fun on the Farm
Each year, 62 million people enjoy finding things to do at farms and farmhouses, ranches and wineries as guests, visitors or volunteer workers, according to RuralBounty.com. Agritourism is often a fast-growing dimension of regional tourism. Many family farmers now welcome the public onto their properties so they can sustain their agricultural lifestyle.

From hayrides to cattle drives; from gathering free-range eggs to sugaring maples; and from picking cherries to walking fields of lavender, it’s all available and waiting. Inquirers can tap into a vast array of local food production and garden nursery experiences at AgritourismWorld.com. Here, they can search by category or specific interest, as well as state or country. Information on tours is also provided.

Vacation Biking

Rent Any Type of Bike Onsite Online
Coast-to-coast, independent bicycle dealers in 144 cities now make it easy to hook up with everyone’s bicycle of choice by the hour, day, week or month. Reserve anything from a comfort or recumbent bike to a road, mountain or kid’s bike at RentaBikeNow.com. Trailers and accessories can be specified right along with destination and travel dates, like with booking a hotel or car. Route information, too, is available at a click of the mouse.

 The new service addresses three critical issues making headlines these days: environment, gas prices and health awareness, notes company President and Founder George Gill.

     Connect with a convenient bike shop at RentaBikeNow.com, a division of Go. Play. Everywhere. LLC.

Wild Zones

Congress Gets Going on Wilderness Conservation
This year has seen big wins in preserving America’s wilderness heritage. The first new National Land Conservation System in a generation now unites more than 26 million acres in permanent protection and restoration status. Areas encompass more than 850 of the most scenic, ecologically and historically significant lands under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management. These include national monuments, conservation and wilderness areas, wild and scenic rivers and scenic and historic trails.

Also, another two million acres of wilderness across nine states have been added to public lands permanently protected in the National Wilderness Preservation System, bringing the total to about 110 million acres. That’s five percent of the country. The additional acreage approved by Congress and President Obama is in California, Colorado, Idaho, Michigan, New Mexico, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Oregon.

The victory will help restore and maintain the healthy, resilient landscapes essential to helping ecosystems and the species that depend on them adapt to climate change. Grassroots voices contributed to another victory, this one for Arctic wildlife. Earlier this year, a federal court vacated the Department of the Interior’s five-year plan for oil and gas leasing in Arctic waters off Alaska’s coast.
 
Source: The Wilderness Society, Wilderness.org 

Help to Make Ends Meet

These days, online browsing turns up an abundance of 
websites and blogs showing people how to make the most of what they have, rather than bemoan what they had. Some examples are Dollar Stretcher at Stretcher.com, AllThingsFrugal.com and FrugalMom.net. Tips range from refinancing a mortgage to gas and grocery shopping to frugal fashion. Many are based on good old common sense—backyard gardening, line-drying laundry, clipping coupons and borrowing movies from the library. But, original new ideas can surprise even veteran budgeters—such as swapping clothes and furniture, as well as DVDs. Local frugal living groups, too, are growing in popularity.

“I recently heard a phrase: ‘Never waste a crisis,’” says Kellee Sikes, of 
Kirkwood, Missouri, who was interviewed for a New York Times story about the trend. She now uses organic cloth napkins until they get threadbare, become cleaning rags, and then end up in a composter. “I love it,” she adds. “This is a chance for us to reexamine what’s important.”

Dreaming Big

China vies to be the leader in electric cars

Chinese leaders have adopted a plan aimed at turning their country into one of the leading producers of hybrid and all-electric vehicles within three years, and becoming the world leader in electric car and bus production after that. To some extent, China is making a virtue of a liability; it’s behind other countries in production of gas-powered vehicles. By skipping the current conventional technology, China hopes to get a jump on the next.

The Chinese government is offering electric car purchase incentives to 
taxi fleets and local government agencies, with plans for consumer tax credits. 
Research subsidies for electric car designs are rising rapidly. The state electricity grid has been ordered to set up electric car charging stations in China’s three largest cities, Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin. Anticipated hurdles include serious problems with rechargeable lithium-ion batteries currently manufactured in China and the hefty cost of China’s current battery pack and electric motor technology.

Source: The New York Times

Thousands of concerned citizens will gather on World Ocean Day, June 8, to deepen awareness of the universal benefits and alarming plight of Earth’s oceans, and the need to stop human activities from harming them. Inspiring community events, activities and celebrations will roll out at aquariums, zoos, museums and other educational institutions in all 50 states and 70 countries, based on the 2009 theme, “One climate, one ocean, one future.”

According the World Ocean Network, the oceans have, “never deteriorated so much in five years.” Fish populations are falling sharply; invasive species and diseases are spreading; coral reefs are dying; and pollution continues to threaten marine life, including plankton and shellfish that form the base of the food chain. Escalating carbon dioxide saturation is acidifying and altering ecologies in the warming waters of our oceans, which play a crucial role in maintaining Earth’s climate.

Find ideas for individuals, families, communities, artists, educators and conservationists who want to join in at

theoceanproject.org/wod/wod_ideas.php

Pump Savvy
Portal to Real-time Gas Prices

GasBuddy.com offers instant, user-friendly access to the today’s lowest priced gasoline pit stops, 
by area. The nonprofit 
GasBuddy Organization, Inc. notes that gas prices not only change frequently, but can vary by as much as 20 percent within a few blocks. Motorists, too, can contribute updates online, based on information gleaned as they combine 
errands around town or take a fuel-wise local vacation. The site helps everyone save bucks for more fun activities.

Kindness Counts
Accelerating Animal Advocacy

In 1993, just seven states had felony animal cruelty laws; today, all but four do—Idaho, Mississippi and the Dakotas. In 2000, nine law schools had animal law studies; today about 100 do, according to an Associated Press report. “Animal law is where environmental law was 20 years ago. It’s in its infancy, but growing,” says Pamela Frasch, adjunct professor and head of the National Center for Animal Law, at Lewis & Clark Law School, in Portland. State laws vary widely

Lewis & Clark opened the first Animal Legal Defense Fund chapter in 1992. Today, it oversees branches at 115 law schools in North America. The reason is student demand. David Favre, an authority in the field who teaches the subject at Michigan State University College of Law, says that most private practice animal law cases deal with dangerous dogs, divorce settlements, purchases or other 
property-related difficulties.

But, it is the animal rights cases that draw public attention. According to Scott Heiser, criminal justice program director for the Animal Legal Defense Fund, new laws in many states put animal abuse on a par with drunken driving cases; this pre-empts offenders from plea bargaining to a lesser offense.

Sources: Associated Press; AmericanHumane.org; reference ASPCA.org.

Survey Surety
Underwriters Laboratories 
to Verify Green Products

A survey by Cone Inc., of Boston, found that 34 percent of adult consumers said they are more likely to buy green-leaning products in the current economic climate; 44 percent said their environmental shopping habits have not changed because of the economy. Only 8 percent said they were less likely to buy Earth-friendly products due to the downturn

Now, Underwriters Laboratories is parlaying its 115-year track record in evaluating the safety of millions of products to its new UL Environment mark, which will be use to reliably designate environmentally sustainable products. Their independent auditing, testing and validation of manufacturers’ claims, as well as a separate certification that products meet industry-accepted environmental standards, will “help industries and the public make sense of green claims, while helping manufacturers maintain transparency and credibility in the marketplace.”

Universal Power
New Charger Will Work with Most Mobile Phones

The GSM Association, representing the mobile communications industry in 219 countries, will embrace a universal charger standard by 2012. The new universal charger, using a Micro-USB connector, will be compatible with the majority of new phones. It’s expected to be 50 percent more efficient in its standby energy use than existing chargers and will help eliminate an estimated 51,000 tons of e-waste, because fewer chargers will be thrown away with each new phone purchase.

Source: GreenerComputing.com

A WORKABLE WAY TO NEW JOBS AND
SUSTAINED RECOVER

by Brita Belli
Illustrations by Joe Weissmann

Yes, the traditional American economic picture is bleak, with every major sector—retail, banking, automotive and construction—reporting record job losses.Twenty-two of the 30 companies comprising the Dow Jones industrial average have reported job losses since the economy began crumbling in October 2008, including industries that many experts thought were strong enough to weather the storm; even construction equipment manufacturer Caterpillar announced 20,000 jobs would be cut on January 27, and pharmaceutical giant Pfizer announced 8,000 job cuts the same day.

That month, the nationwide unemployment rate reached 7.6 percent, its highest level since 
the 1980s recession.But, the previously nascent green economy is taking shape, bringing with it the promise of new jobs.

Among these will be well-paying manufacturing jobs; management and sales opportunities with huge growth potential; and abundant niche positions for enterprising students and others seeking alternative careers. On the upper tiers of the economic ladder, many CEOs and CFOs are already jumping into green jobs. Online green job directories are heavy with listings for those with pertinent business experience.

Government Stimulus

To jumpstart this new green economy, much hope rests upon the economic stimulus package called the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan,” which President Obama signed into law in February 2009, and with the business expansion and job creation that legislation promises. By directing federal money to infrastructure building and clean energy, President Obama’s administration has pledged to use the $787 billion authorized in the bill to rebuild the American economy and with it, the struggling middle class.

The ambitious goal of that legislation is the creation of 3.5 million new jobs, some of which will directly contribute to the country’s renewable energy future. The idea is that the stimulus package can solve two problems simultaneously: getting Americans the dependable, well-paying work that will allow them to support their families and stay in their homes; and redirecting the U.S. energy picture away from dirty, polluting fossil fuels like oil and coal and into clean, renewable energies like wind and solar.

“This is a green and bold stimulus package that will help our economy and protect our environment,” said Representative Edward J. Markey, who chairs key energy and global warming panels in the House.
By adding critical job training skills to reach those in greatest need—inner-city kids, former inmates and welfare recipients among them—Van Jones, founder and president of Green For All, believes the federal economic stimulus effort can go even further—to fight poverty and pollution, simultaneously. His nonprofit advocacy organization is dedicated to building an all-inclusive, green economy.

“There’s this whole invisible infrastructure, trying to get people who need jobs connected with work,” says Jones, who also authored The New York Times 2008 bestselling book, The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Solve Our Two Biggest Problems. “There are vocational training centers, return-from-prison work centers and community colleges. But none of that infrastructure is pointed at the green economy.” He’s out to change that.

The stimulus package

responds by including language from the Green Jobs Act of 2007, part of that year’s larger Energy Savings Act. It includes $100 million for worker 
training in upgrading the nation’s electrical grid, and up to $500 million for renewable energy and electric power transmission projects, with provisions that all laborers and mechanics are paid fair wages. Another $750 million is designated for competitive grants for “worker training and placement in high growth and emerging energy sectors.” Some $250 million is directed toward building Job Corps Centers around the country, which the legislation notes “may include training for careers in the energy efficiency, renewable energy and environmental protection industries.”

On a larger scale, $16.8 billion of the federal package is directed toward energy efficiency and renewable energy research and projects that include: advanced batteries to power plug-in, hybrid vehicles; geothermal and biomass projects; wind and solar installations; building weatherization; modernizing the electrical grid; and environmental cleanup.
A February 2009 report by Good Jobs First, a smart growth advocacy group, cautions that, in the rush to create a quantity of jobs, it’s crucial that we pay sufficient attention to the quality of those jobs.

Private Sector Progress
In its State of Green Business 2009, Greener World Media asks the tough questions that must be addressed. Are we moving far enough, fast enough? Do current initiatives represent true transformation? Or, are we just nibbling at the edges of national and global problems?
Joel Makower, chairman and executive editor of Greener World Media and the editors of its flagship GreenBiz.com, see optimistic signs that the shift to a green economy is real.

For example, green building is on the rise, spurring new technologies that save energy and money, while creating more healthful workplaces. The automobile industry seems finally engaged in a green race to introduce electric vehicles. Leading makers and retailers of consumer products are starting to more rigorously assess the environmental impacts of their products and signaling suppliers that tomorrow’s goods must hew to higher levels of environmental responsibility.

Building on the possibility offered by such public and private investment, along with the promise of a true, “green collar,” workforce, government officials joined with thousands of labor, environmental and business advocates in Washington, D.C., February 4 to 6, for the Good Jobs Green Jobs National Conference and public expo, dedicated to exploring emerging green-oriented career paths. It was sponsored by the Blue Green Alliance, an unprecedented national partnership formed in 2006 between the Sierra Club and the United Steelworkers Union.

Kevin Doyle, president of green consulting and training company Green Economy, advises that the government’s initial investment is only meant to be a launch pad. “The federal government serves best as an innovative leader,” he counsels. “Money from the private sector should be at least five times that much.”

Green on Top

“CEOs and senior level executives across a broad spectrum are entering the environmental field in droves,” says Rona Fried, founder and president of SustainableBusiness.com, which includes a “Green Dream Jobs” online directory. Corporations need strong communicators as they build environmental strategy into their policy, partner with nonprofits and work to respond more quickly to rising public concern over environmental issues.

“Many companies have environmental managers, who are now being upgraded in terms of status,” says Dan Esty, co-director of the Center for Business and Environment at Yale University, and co-author of Green to Gold: How Smart Companies Use Environmental Strategy to Innovate, Create Value and Build Competitive Advantage. “To be a successful manager, you need good analytical skills, to understand the environment in a business context—as a core business strategy.”

The 300 largest corporations are now in the initial stages of crafting a new social frontier, writes author Bruce Piasecki, in World Inc. “Business first seeks to sustain and further itself,” he notes from his perch as president and founder of his consulting firm, American Hazard Control Group, “but this revolution has the side benefit of being good for us all.”
Turning Blue and White Collars Green
The 10 Midwestern states perhaps suffering most from the disintegration of the country’s traditional middle class are ideally suited for wind energy development. According to the Environmental Law and Policy Center, they could jointly realize nearly 37,000 new jobs by 2020 if the nation’s renewable energy portfolio were set to 22 percent.

.
A University of California at Berkeley study update in 2006, “Putting Renewables to Work: How Many Jobs Can the Clean Energy Industry Generate?” projects that the renewable energy industry could consistently produce more jobs per megawatt of electricity generated—in construction, manufacturing, installation, operations and management and fuel processing—than its fossil fuel industry counterpart. Given a 20 percent national renewable energy standard that includes 55 percent wind energy, that could equal 188,018 new jobs by 2020.

Kate Gordon, co-director for the Apollo Alliance, a nonprofit working for American energy independence, summarizes the point. “There’s been a wholesale loss of manufacturing jobs, which are union-protected, highly skilled jobs. But with wind turbines, solar panels, energy-efficient retrofits—there’s a whole world of green jobs. It’s pretty exciting, if you can harness it.” 
    Doyle advises that there are two key strategies. One is to look at what skills are needed by all industries to solve environmental problems. All need, for example, information management and financing. “So much starts with gathering huge amounts of data,” Doyle says. This includes jobs in information technology, geography and statistics.

Similarly, whether a nonprofit, government agency or business is looking to purchase open space or evaluating smart growth versus sprawl, they need to find funds. This opens up a host of jobs, including sector analysts, green accountants, government finance officers and foundation managers. 
    The second strategy for green job seekers is to, “Pick a niche without any sense of ideological blinders,” advises Doyle. Someone wanting to “fix” climate change would investigate the major sources of carbon emissions—power plants, automobiles and gas flares—and focus on finding solutions within these polluting industries.

Perhaps the report at StateofGreenBusiness.com summarizes it best: “To achieve their increasingly ambitious environmental goals, companies will need to educate, engage, empower and activate their employees to think and act green. And, learn from them, too, recognizing that when it comes to running a leaner, greener business, no one knows where the waste and inefficiencies lie more than those on the front lines. Despite all the oft-repeated dictums about ‘top-down’ and ‘bottom-up’ management techniques, effectively greening the corporation sometimes requires that companies learn how to lead from the middle.”

Brita Belli is the editor of E/The Environmental Magazine, where portions of this article and sidebars first appeared.

Top 10 Green Jobs

by Brita Belli, Kathryn Gutlebar, Julia Hirsch,
Jessica Knoblauch and Shawn Query

Across every industry, new job possibilities are emerging for those with the skills to bridge the divide between the old, fossil-fuel-based economy and the new, energy-efficient one. Many corporations are partnering with nonprofits and hiring corporate social responsibility managers.

1) Green Globetrotters: Travel and Hospitality
Green travel employees generally work for private companies, government and public institutions and nonprofits. The Green Hotels Association, for example, states that “A ‘Green Team’ can turn hotel employees into educators, showing us how we can be more sustainable.”

Connect: International Ecotourism Society, 202-347-9203, EcoTourism.org; Green Hotels Association, 713-789-8889, GreenHotels.com; Lindblad Expeditions & National Geographic, 1-800-EXPEDITION, Expeditions.com.

2) Sustainability Stewards: Planning and Land Use

Local governments are increasingly interested in how they can reduce their communities’ carbon footprint and are turning to city planning professionals for direction.A new view of smart urban planning, which emphasizes sustainable and transit-oriented development, is growing, particularly in the Southeast, California and the Pacific Northwest. Stormwater management and wetlands restoration are other areas coming to the forefront.

Connect: American Planning Association, 202-872-0611, Planning.org; International City/County Management Association, 202-289-ICMA, icma.org.

3) Complementary Care: Health and Medicine
A 2008 survey reports that 38 percent of U.S. adults and 12 percent of our children use some form of alternative care. The most popular holistic techniques are deep breathing exercise, meditation, chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation, massage and yoga. While both coasts are stocked with natural-care physicians, the need for alternative practitioners is spreading across the rural states.

Connect: National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 1-888-644-6226, nccam.nih.org.

4) Power Pushers: Energy and Renewables
“Solar and wind are already multibillion-dollar industries,” says Peter Beadle, president of Greenjobs.com, “but hydrogen and fuel cell production are still in the nascent stages.” Job seekers will have an easier time breaking into the renewables industry via marketing and sales. Workers also are needed to install and maintain solar panels and wind turbines, and certification is readily available.

Connect: GreenJobs.com; Apollo Alliance, 415-371-1700, ApolloAlliance.org.

5) Planet Protectors: Legal Careers
Environmental law groups go to court. Lewis and Clark Law School students, in Portland, Oregon, can get environmental law certification with their degree, and most go on to work in state or federal government offices or private practices with an environmental bent.
Earthjustice, a nonprofit that started as the Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund in 1971, employs some 150 lawyers, communications specialists and fundraising and general support personnel. They also keep an online list of job openings.

Connect: Lewis & Clark Law School, 503-768-6600; Earthjustice, 1-800-584-6460, EarthJustice.org.

6) Green Geeks: Information Technology
“People think there is some kind of mystery, ‘Where are the green jobs?” says Marie Kerpan, founder of consulting practice Green Careers. “There are a bazillion companies where you can take your skills and put it to work in a green company.” She particularly notes opportunities in outreach, fundraising and political awareness.

Connect: EcoVentures International, 202-667-0802, Eco-Ventures.org.

7) Eco Educators: Green Learning
Sustainability coordinators have been joining the ranks of educational institutions looking to go green. Although not many schools offer degrees in sustainability, that’s beginning to change; more schools are either converting existing programs or starting new ones.

Connect: Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, aashe.org, 859-258-2551, Presidio School of Management, 415-561-6555, PresidioMBA.org.

Better Builders: Design and Construction

Green builders already have a competitive advantage over traditional builders in both commercial and residential arenas, advises Ashley Katz, manager of communications for the U.S. Green Building Council.That advantage will continue to grow as sustainable, energy-efficient building practices become the norm. Opportunities exist for green-minded engineers, contractors, architects and designers as well as more employees in service businesses making green products and materials.

Connect: U.S. Green Building Council, 
1-800-795-1747, usgbc.org.

9) Improving Industry: Corporate Social Responsibility
To make corporations more responsive to environmental, human rights and health issues, corporate responsibility advocates have persuaded some corporations to move from thinking solely about profits to the three P’s—people, planet and profits. Job seekers need knowledge of labor law and human resource management.

Connect: Social Venture Network, 415-561-6501, svn.org.

10) Organic Occupations: Food and Farming
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, land used for organic crops increased from 48,000 acres in 1997 to 122,000 acres in 2005, and that number continues to grow, opening doors for students seeking experience on a working farm through the Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF).

Some workers manage organic farms by leasing it through a land trust. Other jobs exist in farmland protection, education opportunities at on-campus student farms and in the restaurant/hospitality niche, with a need for chefs specializing in local foods.

Connect: WWOOF, 831-425-FARM, wwoofusa.org; Northeast Organic Farming Association, 203-888-5146, ctnofa.org.

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Sixty-nine percent of the two hundred busi-ness owners canvassed said they plan to main-tain their current level of environmental giving, even if the economic downturn moderatelyaffects their businesses.
Source: GreenBiz.com.

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