August 24, 2006 10:51 AM

Green jobs
Posted by Douglas Eisenhartat 10:51 AM

Global warming and climate change are certainly very much on the public's mind these days. For this you can give a fair portion of the credit to former Vice President Al Gore, whose An Inconvenient Truth is not only a theatrical release film but, in book form, an in-depth look at global warming that is currently the #1 nonfiction paperback bestseller on the New York Times list.

But what does this have to do with jobs, you say? I'm here in the BostonWorks Job Blog to find my next job, or just a job, or find out how to get a raise or ace an interview or write my resume, something practical to help me get ahead.

Well, that's what this post is all about. Because careers and the environment are not mutually exclusive, and in fact "green" jobs and careers are themselves heating up. This is not just about curbing industrial pollutants, though that is certainly a critical and ongoing area of endeavor. It is also about developing the next generation of products and services, such as cost-effective renewable alternative energy sources, that take us beyond where we are now, that address underlying global enviromental issues, and that allow us to create both a sustainable environment and economy.

Some of the big boys are already in, most notably GE, whose CEO Jeffrey Immelt has famously stated that "green is green" - ie, businesses that pursues enviromentally-friendly policies can also make money. See the EcoImagination section of GE's website.

Now, what about those jobs?

>> You can start right here at BostonWorks, where at last count there were more than 350 positions relating to the environment.

>> Sustainable Business.com has a section of their site called Green Dream Jobs with hundreds of listings. The site is also a good place to learn more about the entire subject of environmentally friendly business.

>> EnvironmentalCareer.com is dedicated to jobs and careers in wildlife, renewable energy, environmental compliance, sustainability, and related areas.

>> ECO.org, the Environmental Careers Organization, is a national, non-profit organization that develops professionals for the environmental field through paid environmental internships.

These challenges are not transitory. They are real and they are here to stay, and they will require the best and brightest minds to solve them. So get going now on your own sustainable career plan.