| -- End Ad Box ---> | | | | is not uncommon to find even local businesses |
| According to the United Nations Environmental | | | | touting their eco-friendly adaptations in advertising. |
| Programme (UNEP) environmental jobs reduce the | | | | Many grocery stores will give nickel/bag incentives |
| environmental impact of enterprises and economic | | | | for bringing in your own reusable bag and others may |
| sectors ultimately to levels that are sustainable. | | | | even charge you if they supply your grocery bag. |
| Furthermore, green jobs are defined as work in | | | | Awareness through education has also helped efforts |
| agriculture industry services, and administration that | | | | to develop environmental jobs that contribute to a |
| contributes to preserving or restoring the quality of | | | | growing green economy. In 1970, Senator Gaylord |
| the environment. However, categories of | | | | Nelson of Wisconsin set April 22nd as the first Earth |
| environmental jobs are as diverse as the biodiversity | | | | Day. That first celebration included an environmental |
| they serve. | | | | teach-in that 25 million people participated in. |
| The UNEP study goes on to state that universally | | | | Now, schools and communities around the globe |
| green jobs are casual and most do not provide a | | | | organize lesson plans, activities, and festivals. |
| living wage. Many of these low end green workers | | | | Activities range from clean up the local park field trips |
| are, for example, scavengers who pick through trash | | | | to presidential campaign stops and speeches. Here |
| to find recyclables to sell to other areas in various | | | | again we can see obviously the informal jobs |
| countries where below sustainable wage green jobs, | | | | created, but it requires coordinated efforts to help |
| in bio-fuels and construction where wages may be on | | | | develop sustainable green careers. |
| a subsistence level or below. Therefore, the UN, labor | | | | Investors are also looking to green technologies and |
| unions, and many governmental agencies world-wide | | | | its rapidly growing global market. Clean technology |
| have made sustainability part of the definition of | | | | investment has increased by 50% from 2006 to |
| what constitutes an environmental or green job. | | | | 2007 (92.6 billion to 148.4 billion.) Areas such as |
| Collaboration between governments, private business, | | | | renewable energy, energy efficiency, mass transit |
| labor unions, community groups, and profession | | | | and green construction, all create and redeploy jobs. |
| organizations etc., are crucial to create environmental | | | | The investment that creation of these jobs requires |
| jobs. Without such collaboration a strong foundation | | | | is a miniscule part of the GDP of industrialized |
| for the environmental economy cannot be built; | | | | countries, and we are not yet close to getting this |
| informal jobs will continue to grow, but the growth of | | | | amount, but it is entirely attainable. Furthermore |
| a sustainable environmental job will not. Additionally, | | | | initiatives for green business do not take a lot of |
| the complexity of the factors that require the | | | | extra capital investment. They can be quick and easy |
| coordination may not always be fully understood | | | | to accomplish; paying for themselves in a short |
| therefore this needs to be a formal process. | | | | amount of time. |
| It does help that going green has become | | | | The future of environmental jobs is ours to create. |
| good for the bottom line. Early on Ben & | | | | Through collaboration, awareness, direction education, |
| Jerry’s, Nike, SC Johnson, Johnson & Johnson, | | | | and economic development incentives, we can foster |
| PG & E, Shaklee, Canon, and Unilever PLC adopted | | | | an environment in which green jobs are not only |
| socially responsible policies and practices. Currently, it | | | | available, but highly desirable. |