Earth Week events are set to take place in Powell River, BC from April 22-27, 2014 (with a main event at Willingdon Beach on Saturday April 26), and Career Link is gearing up for a series of Career Sense blog posts on the Green Economy.
Most of us think of “green jobs” as having to do with:
- Agriculture and Aquaculture (using organic and sustainable methods to produce food as locally as possible; this could include sustainable practices in tree-planting, and more)
- Green Building (using renewable, recycled or re-purposed materials carefully, and avoiding waste, but also using site selection to minimize energy usage and to conserve water, etc.). We can also include green renovation and retrofitting (often to save energy for heating or cooling homes, and/or water). We can include “greener” urban planning here as well (in-fill development, reducing urban sprawl, highway and street design to reduce traffic, etc.)
- Green and Clean Energy (solar, wind, some hydro-electric, passive solar, geothermal, alternative fuels such as biodiesel, bioalcohol (methanol, ethanol, butanol), chemically stored electricity (batteries and fuel cells), hydrogen, non-fossil methane, non-fossil natural gas, vegetable oil, propane, and other biomass sources.
- Greener Infrastructure and Design that enables and encourages sustainable transportation choices (alternatively-fueled buses and special bus lanes, bicycles, subways, sky trains/monorails, light rail, ride-share)
- Eco-Tourism: sustainable tourism that treads lightly on the earth, and highlights the beauty of the natural environment and the need to preserve areas of interest
- Remediation services (reversing or stopping environmental damage), including environmental clean-ups and the building of infrastructure preventing environmental damage (innovative products like multi-hulled ships, industrial pipes with sensors to detect spills, etc.)
- Recycling services (including delivery/pick up, customer service, processing, and manufacturing new products from recycled materials)
- Education, activism, environmental law, advocacy, (including governmental and non-profit jobs in conservation, and media jobs like writing, film/video-making, photography, design and other content production). Many organizations and governments at all levels employ people for whom addressing the environment and sustainability forms at least some of their tasks.
While all of the above are definitely valid, the websites Greenjobsbc.org, Eco.ca and Good Work Canada (and others; see below) remind us that “green” jobs are also to be found in other areas that we don’t often consider, like for example, the financial sector (through sustainable stocks or bonds that support businesses that produce “green” products or provide services of development and remediation), and in the sciences as new methods and products are emerging daily to both deal with the effects of pollution and unsustainable practices, as well as to find alternatives.
We hope you enjoy the series and let us know what you think. Drop by Career Link to view our Earth Week display, including some of these interesting facts below! Also, take a look at Powell River’s own Sustainability Charter and see how the City has supported many “green” ideas.
Did You Know…
Over 1.7 million workers in Canada spend some portion of their time on environmental activities, representing 10.3% of the total Canadian labour force.
Environmental employment has grown rapidly from 70,000 green workers in 1992 to over 730,000 professionals in 2013 who spend at least 50% of their work time on environment-related activities.
More businesses are looking for professionals who can link environment-related expertise with business planning. These are the top two competencies that companies are looking for:
• Corporate Environmental Program Planning & Implementation (mentioned in 32% of green job postings) and
• Environmental Business, Technology and Product Development (listed in 31% of green job ads).
The Environmental Protection sector currently has the greatest demand for workers with environmental competencies – it accounts for 38% of recent green job vacancies. Demand is also high for environmental professionals in Resource Conservation (21% of green job vacancies) and Renewable/Green Energy (11%).
78% of environmental professionals are engaged in their work, compared to just 64% of the total Canadian workforce.
This means that green workers are more likely to do more than is normally required on the job, believe that their contribution is valued by their employer, and recommend their company as a great place to work.
– See more at: http://www.eco.ca/about-eco-canada/#sthash.dcTaPH9a.dpuf
Green Job websites
- GoodWork Canada
- Environmental Careers Organization Canada
- SOIL – Canada’s Sustainable Farm Apprenticeship Program
- WWOOF – World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms
- guardianjobs – environmental & sustainability jobs