California’s Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger announced last week that the state was creating a California Green Corps that will work to protect the state’s ecology, and provide valuable experience and training to the young people who go through the program, to help them prepare for employment in the emerging green economy. The program will provide at least 1,000 young people between the ages of 16 and 24 with jobs and training. The governor stressed that the program is targeted toward youth considered “at-risk” of failing academically, foundering in the workplace or getting into trouble with the law, and will consist of a minimum of 10 regional Green Corps throughout California.
Many people in the software industry have heard the buzzword cloud computing. Cloud computing promises to revolutionize how computing is done and huge investments are being made by the major players in the industry to stake out a portion of this sector. The infrastructure that underlies the cloud is a massive energy consumer. What is needed is for the idea of a green cloud to also catch on within the industry. A green cloud is cloud computing that uses intelligent power management and cooling to minimize its energy needs for some given level of service.
Matt, an intern at Bright Green Talent has an informative post up on how to make the green career transition. His plate is full. He is also interning at a sustainability consulting firm, and occasionally working in his previous profession as a commercial photographer. Below is a summary of the strategies he is using to transition to a new green career.
Over at JustMeans, Dave Stanis, of the Campbell Soup Company, speculated that based on current trends, carbon accounting will be a growing, in demand, career specialty. He recommends taking classes in carbon accounting. I think he is on to something because Groom Energy has declared 2009 the Year of Enterprise Carbon Accounting and a recent Greenhouse Gas Management Institute study revealed that the industry is suffering from a profound skills shortage. For those of you who have never heard of carbon accounting, it is the accounting undertaken to measure the amount of carbon dioxide equivalents that will not be released into the atmosphere as a result of Flexible Mechanisms projects under the Kyoto Treaty.
Networking is considered one of the most valuable strategies for ensuring career success. Often, the most effective ways to network is through professionals groups. In keeping with our Women’s History Month theme, I have created a list of 10 active networking groups for women pursuing sustainable energy and environmental careers.
ForGreen Marketing and Design has created a free “claim to fame avatar” for those with a conscious – the Carbon Footprint frame can be used for your avatar.
The United Nations has issued a Global Green New Deal Policy Brief by economists in the run of the G20 meeting of world leaders in London in early April. Among the findings of the brief is the assertion that investing one per cent of global GDP, or around $750 billion, into five key sectors could be the key to a Global Green New Deal.
The US is not the only country looking to renewable energy as a way to boost its economy by providing opportunities for increased investment, building low carbon efficiency into the infrastructure and creating millions of jobs. Australia, The European Union, South Korea, China, Germany, Japan, Italy, Canada, France and the United Kingdom
Nasdaq OMX Group Inc. and Clean Edge Inc. have announced the results of their semi-annual review of the Nasdaq Clean Edge Green Energy Index, which will become effective with the market open on Monday, March 23, 2009. One company is added while 11 are dropped from the indice.
