Green Job and Eco factor

Source: http://climatelab.org/Green_Collar_Jobs?action=edit

In the US in 2006, renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies generated 8.5 million new jobs, nearly $970 billion in revenue, and more than $100 billion in industry profits. ⁴  In 2007, U.S. Rep. Hilda Solis (D-CA) and U.S. Rep. John Tierney (D-MA) introduced the Green jobs Act of 2007 and President Bush signed it into law. This Act authorizes $125 million for workforce training programs targeted at veterans, displaced workers, at-risk youth, and families in extreme poverty.

Twenty-two different sectors of the U.S. economy currently provide workers with green collar 
jobs (Pinderhughes, 2006). These sectors include:

1.       Bicycle repair and bike delivery services

2.      Mechanic jobs, production jobs, and gas-station jobs
related to bio-diesel, vegetable oil and other alternative fuels

3.      Energy retrofits to increase energy efficiency and conservation

4.      Food production using organic and/or sustainably grown agricultural products

5.       Furniture making from environmentally certified and recycled wood

6.      Green building

7.       Green waste composting on a large scale

8.      Hauling and reuse of construction materials, demolition materials, and debris (C&D)

9.      Hazardous materials clean up

10.   Green (sustainable) landscaping

11.    Manufacturing jobs related to greening technologies (i.e. solar panels, bike cargo systems, green waste bins, etc.)

12.   Materials reuse and production from recycled and non-toxic materials

13.   Non-toxic household cleaning in residential and commercial buildings

14.   Parks and open space maintenance and expansion

15.    Printing with non-toxic inks, dyes, and recycled papers

16.   Public transit jobs

17.    Recycling

18.   Solar installation and maintenance

19.   Tree cutting and pruning

20.  Peri-urban and urban agriculture

21.   Water retrofits to increase water efficiency and conservation

22.  Whole home performance (i.e: HVAC, attic insulation, weatherization, etc.)

Eco Factor: Solar power plants could generate 9000TWh of energy within four decades.

The International Energy Agency has figured out a dazzling future for solar power. The agency has released two roadmaps for photovoltaic technology and concentrating solar power, which can generate up to 9000 terawatt hours of energy, approximately 25 percent of the global demand, by 2050.

This amount of renewable energy will be able to cut carbon dioxide emissions by almost 6 billion metric tons per year by 2050. Concentrating solar power, which focuses solar radiations onto a small area to generate electricity, will be used in bright and sunny areas and will be dominated by regions such as North America, North Africa and India. Currently the technology is responsible for just 0.1 percent of electricity generation around the world.

Photovoltaic technology is currently dominated by Germany, Spain, Japan and the U.S., who generate more than 1GW of power from installed PVs. However, countries such as China and India are catching up fast.

Via: LA Times

The Age of Energy - The Green Economy

The Telegraph and Shell have joined forces to deliver a series on the green economy. The series will focus on particular aspects crucial to building a low-carbon economy, including business, politics, transport, international relations, market forces and the individual. The Age of Energy will feature contributions from politicians, business people, academics and green experts, plus an interactive poll and the chance to attend a Green Economy Debate at The Telegraph in central London.

 Further reading: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/earth/the-age-of-energy/?utm_source=tmg&utm_medium=wgt_shell&utm_campaign=sponsored&WT.ac=8649878