Here is a nice list from www.greencollarhirhing.com on the top 10 emerging “Green Jobs”. I am not a big fan of using our corn for Ethanol (hello: no GMO/worldwide food shortage/hasn’t worked yet etc…) but anyway I digress..
Here is the list:
10. Land Use Planner: One of the biggest changes necessary to bring our communities up to a level of environmental sustainability, is in urban development. Our cities need to be designed with their ecological impacts taken into consideration, if we are to attain any level of energy efficiency. Visionary planners dedicated to reconfiguring our communities around resource efficiency and decreased waste, will be essential.
9. Ecotour Operators: Ecotourism is growing at a rate 3 times that of the overall tourism sector. Knowledgeable workers committed to sustainability and education, will find a wide variety of opportunities within this space. Employees will get to travel while simultaneously helping to spread awareness about the issues facing our environment and society.
8. LEED Accredited Builder: The “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design” initiative has given rise to a whole new set of rules and implementation standards for construction companies. Knowledgeable green builders will be in high demand as communities push to bring their properties up to these new standards and seek out accredited builders. Additionally, these new green builders will be able to command higher pay rates per square foot of developmen, due to their specialization.
7. Environmental Lawyers: When a corporation refuses to comply with its green initiatives and falls behind on its standards compliance responsibilities, an environmental law group steps in. Law professionals representing these cases, serve state and federal government agencies, nonprofit groups, and individuals, as they uphold justice and further the cause of sustainable living.
6. Green Building Manager: As buildings make the shift to cleaner energy sources such as sola, wind, and greywater recycling, a new batch of building managers familiar with high-tech energy systems, recycling measures, and energy efficiency standards will be necessary.
5. Environmental Engineer: Now that sustainability and energy efficiency have become key words in construction and urban planning, a new breed of engineers have come into favor. These eco-savvy engineers conduct environmental site assessments, create environmental impact statements, and use their knowledge of emissions calculations and soil testing, to coordinate building projects that have sustainability and minimized carbon waste in mind.
4. Green Brand Manager: As traditional manufacturing companies are pushed to offer more and more green products, they will have to develop new departments within their corporate structure to handle these projects. One position expected to see a sizeable increase in hiring due to this shift, is brand managers. These jobs will be rooted in communications, and contribute to the marketing of these new green products and services.
3. Solar Panel Installer: Solar energy production is one of the most mature businesses with the clean energy market, and its product will be increasingly integrated into both residential and commercial properties in the coming years. Installers for thin film PV modules are projected to be one of the most demanded service professionals as this technology spreads.
2. Corn Farmer: As ethanol and other biodiesels continue their ascendancy toward the mainstream, corn farmers will see their harvests increasingly demanded and used in a wider variety of applications. Corn prices have more than tripled in the last 4 years due to this increased demand, and there is no sign of this trend changing in the near future.
1. Green Venture Capitalist: As the cleantech sector grows, investors will begin shifting over from more traditional markets in search of increased returns. Renewable energy and other markets aimed at sustainability will see massive capital inflows. The venture capitalists spearheading this shift stand to reap the greatest rewards.
