The world stands to gain 6.9 million jobs by 2030 in the clean energy sector if a strong deal is reached in Copenhagen, according to a report released recently by Greenpeace International and the European Renewable Energy Council (EREC). A switch from coal to renewable electricity generation will not just avoid 10 billion tons of CO2 emissions, but will create 2.7 million more jobs by 2030 than if we continue business as usual. Conversely, the global coal industry – which currently supports about 4.7 million employees worldwide – is likely to contract by more than 1.4 million jobs by 2030, due to rationalization measures in existing coal mines.
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers will be hosting the 2010 4th International Conference on Energy Sustainability on May 17-22, 2010. This exciting event meant as a forum for exchange of innovative ideas, leading edge concepts, new technologies and devices, ongoing R&D efforts, prototype and demonstration projects, commercialization technologies and projects, and visions of the future related to the general theme of Energy Sustainability. The conference will consist of plenary talks, invited talks, panel discussions, workshops, tutorials, technical sessions, poster presentations, and exhibitions. The conference provides a unique opportunity for communication and collaboration between academia, industry and planners in the areas of Solar Energy, Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy and Advanced Energy Technologies. Abstracts are invited in any relevant policy and technology areas.
Sustainable Energy – Without the Hot Air, written by David MacKay, Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Cambridge is available for free as a download. Addressing the sustainable energy crisis in an objective manner, the book analyzes the relevant numbers and organizes a plan for change on both a personal level and an international scale—for Europe, the United States, and the world. In case study format, this informative reference answers questions surrounding nuclear energy, the potential of sustainable fossil fuels, and the possibilities of sharing renewable power with foreign countries. While underlining the difficulty of minimizing consumption, the tone remains positive as it debunks misinformation and clearly explains the calculations of expenditure per person to encourage people to make individual changes that will benefit the world at large.
This is the second installment of my weekly series of interviews I have conducted with people who have made a career transition to the clean/green sector. Last week focused on my interview with with Glenn Booth, VP of Marketing & Business Development at Cool Energy, Inc. He has made the transition from telecom to solar. This week we are presenting my interview with Laks Sampath, who is a Principal with ElliptlQ Energy Partners, who transitioned from working with dotcoms to solar.
In the September issue of Harvard Business Review, authors Ram Nidumolu, C.K. Prahalad, and M.R. Rangaswami provide a framework for adopting sustainable practices to bring about technological and organizational innovations that will ultimately yield top-line and bottom-line returns, providing a competitive advantage when the recession ends. They feel that sustainable companies will emerge from the recession ahead of their competitors, who will face difficulties trying to catch up.
CareerApple, a career resource and coaching organization, is offering a free webinar, titled The CleanTech Series: Renewable Energy 101. The class for people interested in green careers, but have limited understanding about them. The 30 minute seminar is designed to help you learn about the past, present and future implications of renewable energy.
Earlier this month, Green for All established The Capital Access Program for small businesses and non-profits. The program is design to provide these organizations with the resources they need to to support, create and scale green jobs in our local communities.
Guest Post by Jennifer Massie, founder of Massie Group, a recruiting consulting firm I have decided to conduct a series of interviews with people who have made a career transition to the clean/green sector. This could include any type of business related to renewable energy, energy efficiency, sustainable business, etc. I am finding more and […]
All things being equal, if a potential employer paid for your time away from the office to volunteer for an earth-friendly cause or provided you with free compact fluorescent light bulbs and an energy audit of your home, or even a hybrid car, would you be more inclined to join them? Leading by example, renewable energy firms are developing “green” or environmentally friendly employee benefits that align the core values of a CEO and culture of their organization with the core values of each employee.
