A new green world? Perhaps

Well the elections are over and we have a new president-elect, Barack Obama - a very historical event indeed. With his inauguration coming up in the next couple of months, it will be interesting to see if the ideas and plans he so carefully communicated during his campaign will come to pass. Obviously, the first order of business is the economy...and with that, green jobs? For many of you who have had the pleasure to hear me go on and on about everything green - I have been predicting that green jobs are the next wave of economic growth. Very similar to the economic growth we saw in the 1990s with the advancement of the technology industry, the '90s provided the U.S. and other countries an economic boom with the explosive growth of top-notch and high paying jobs. And while the technology industry has weathered many ups and downs with the subsequent Internet bust in 1999/2000 and several layoffs years later, the technology industry has remained somewhat a stronghold throughout this recent recession. And as with any business, it forced many to diversify their offerings as a way to keep business running and solid - the U.S. economy is not any different - we must diversify our economic opportunities and look at the future offerings to a new economic boom - this wave would be green jobs.


Consequently, I don't seem to be alone in this view either. In a recent Bloomberg article, John Wasik, commented on a study conducted by Worldwatch Institute, an institution that analyzes critical global issues to generate insights and ideas that empower decision makers to build an ecologically sustainable society, about creating "green" jobs. The article and the study state that green jobs will impact every industry, hence giving everyone an opportunity to prosper from this new economic boom. The study detailed that renewable-energies and energy-conservation industries alone employ some 2.3 million people worldwide and are continuing to grow. However, "[g]reen jobs are not only about renewable energy employment..." it will impact almost every industry. From building and construction, to the commodities industries, agriculture, and to the service industry. This economic boom not only will bolster employment and the economy, but will reduce our carbon footprint. A win-win situation for all. So imagine a green, green world. Are you ready?