Green jobs and greening your job

Now that we know what Santa brought this year, the big question is: what changes in the job market will 2010 bring? Increasing evidence shows that green jobs are better paying than non-green jobs in similar sectors, according to a new report from PayScale and CleanEdge. Even entry-level positions were better paid, on average. But where are the majority of green job openings? Research by Green Dream Jobs found that the top 20 green job openings this past year were actually mid to high level positions (see below for list).

One reason for that could be that the American market really is embracing green technology. In the new book, The Green Collar Economy, Van Jones says, “The time has come for the nation to give greater support to the problem green-collar workers, and green consumers. We have the chance now to create new markets, new technology, new industries, and a new workforce.”

Leaving the pollution-based economy behind, here are the top 5 sectors for clean-tech job activity in the US for 2009:

1. Solar
2. Biofuels and biomaterials
3. Conservation and efficiency
4. Smart grid
5. Wind power

Source: Clean Edge, Inc., 2009

If a switch to a newly emerging green job is not right for you, but you want to bring your ideals into your current job, consider making some environmentally-friendly switches like using the refillable, recyclable AusPen dry-erase markers in the classroom or boardroom. Your colleagues will take note that one kit of AusPen markers eliminates toxic fumes from the room and it replaces approximately 246 disposable toxic whiteboard markers, which would end up in local landfills. It’s a great way to make your current job go green.

Top 20 Green Job Titles, according to Green Dream Jobs:

• Executive director of a nonprofit
• Project leader/manager
• Sustainability program director/manager
• Sales/business development associate or manager
• Marketing manager/coordinator
• Community crew leaders/supervisors for conservation associations
• Business/data analyst
• Research analyst/manager
• Environmental educator/naturalist
• Account executive/manager, sales
• Professor
• Sustainability analyst/consultant
• Operations manager
• Wind energy engineer

A New Purchasing Mindset

If we take a look around us, we will quickly realize that so many of the products that we buy are resource and energy intensive, either in the way that they were produced, or in the way they are quickly discarded and replaced.

At EcoSmart Products, we are noticing a rapidly emerging new wave of school teachers and administrators who are adopting a new mindset in their purchasing patterns. No longer just focusing on the usual catalogue products, these educators are turning away from classroom supplies and practices that are short-term, hazardous to health, unsustainable, and more expensive in the long-run.

More and more schools and businesses realize that going green requires consideration of a product’s durability and lifetime expectancy, how much energy it consumes, how much it costs to operate and maintain and most importantly, its impact on the health of human life and ecosystems.

Thousands of educators are experiencing the best of both worlds with the AusPen dry-erase markers: an environmentally-friendly and economical alternative to the conventional disposable markers.

Waste Not Want Not

Does the word ‘audit’ sound about as pleasant as a root canal? What if a school-wide audit was a fun way to increase environmental awareness and build school community? Too good to be true? Several schools across the US and Canada have carried out waste audits – with some jurisdictions mandating them by law – and proven the exercise to be anything but rubbish.

The objective of a school waste audit is twofold: 1) to teach the students that garbage doesn’t just disappear once it’s trashed – it can be recycled, composted, compacted, buried or burned, but it still ends up somewhere, and 2) to create a waste minimization plan.

Schools typically get many students involved in collecting, sorting, weighing, recording and disposing all the garbage (minus the garbage from bathrooms) for a given time, say a week. The students then observe what kind of garbage is being thrown out, what portion can be recycled, and what strategies can be put in place to reduce the non-recyclable waste, such as disposable lunch containers or classroom supplies like dry erase markers and pens.

Creative lesson plans and school activities reinforce the lessons learned from the audit, such as creating life cycles of trash, designing a waste minimization plans, creating an awareness campaign and attracting local support and attention in the media.

AusPen markers have been happy to be the beneficiary of several of these audits as the students and teachers responded to seeing all the waste they were producing and sought out alternatives, such as refillable, non-toxic markers rather than the disposable variety.

Helpful how-to guides, student audit worksheets, and waste minimization plans can be found at: Ontario ecoschools and San Mateo County.

The Perfect Teacher Gift

Looking for the perfect gift for your child’s teacher this holiday? Been there and done that with chocolates, mugs and stationery? Have you thought about an eco-friendly holiday gift? This year, try surprising the teacher with a thoughtful, practical, and long-lasting gift – an AusPen dry-erase marker kit.

Pooling together with a few other parents in the classroom will make this quality gift even more affordable and will send a message to the teacher that you truly respect and appreciate what they do. Not only will your child’s teacher thank you for replacing their old disposable smelly dry-erase markers and clearing the air of toxic chemicals, but your child will now be in a less toxic classroom. And since each kit comes with 6 different colored markers and their refills (the equivalent of 246 disposable markers) the teacher will be using your markers long after your child has left the grade!

Order now in time for the holidays.

Orders will be shipped in 3 to 4 days in Canada and 5 to 10 days in the U.S.

Carbon Credit Christmas Trees

Speaking of Christmas trees…we also wanted to highlight the “eco” efforts of our good friends at Prince of Wales Secondary School in Vancouver, B.C., as they seek ways to be “greener” and teach their students about environmental stewardship.

First, Prince of Wales has committed to making their annual Christmas tree sale as green as possible. Our last blog highlighted a new approach taken by some companies to rent and reuse real, potted Christmas trees, eventually planting them. The Prince of Wales initiatives with their tree sale is two-fold: 1) sourcing trees as close as possible to the school and 2) by calculating and purchasing carbon credits to offset the greenhouse gas emissions from the transport of trees to the lot.

Incidentally, the tree sales are in support of TREK, the school’s outdoor and education program and one that is responsible for many hours of community service.

Another way in which the school is taking environmental responsibility is through its use of the AusPen whiteboard markers, keeping hundreds of pounds of non-biodegradable waste out of the local landfills every year. Well done, Prince of Wales.

A “Green” Christmas Tree

Ever thought about how “green” your Christmas tree is…hey, we know it is literally green, but we mean how “green” it is.  Well if you haven’t, companies around North America have and they’re providing a great alternative to the traditional Christmas tree options.

One company, Evergrow Christmas Trees, was recently profiled in the Vancouver (Canada) media highlighting their new business focused on greening up the holidays. They offer to rent you a Christmas tree this year. These are real potted trees, which they will deliver and then pick up after the holidays (the cost is $100).  In this business model, the trees won’t get mulched or tossed in landfills the way regular trees do, they will be taken care of and rented out year after year until they are finally planted in the ground. You can also check out Carbon Sync Trees, who provide the same service. This service has been available in some Metro centers in the Unites States, but is just starting to catch on in Canada.

On the one hand, Christmas tree farms provide us with oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide. They provide habitat to wildlife, are grown in otherwise infertile soil, prevent soil erosion, and are renewed. On the other hand, consumers balk at the waste of 40 million Christmas trees per year in North America, which are grown for 6 to 10 years to be enjoyed for one Christmas only.

Our focus at EcoSmart Products has always been on the need to reduce the waste of valuable resources. If these harvested, potted trees do indeed reduce the waste of a precious resource, we wish them the best of a green Christmas.

(story at: http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2009/11/27/consumer-potted-christmas-tree.html)