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Welcome to the Green Career Tip of the Week
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Online Version of this Issue Green Career Tips Archive
A bold new environmental program is featured in this week’s tip. The New Apollo Program details a strategy to a greener US by 2025.
How green are your favorite candidates? Read the Highlighted Event section to find out where to get the green scoop on national politicians.
Did you get a f.r.e.e month on the Green Career Central site this week? Scroll down to see if the beginning of your email is next to the treasure chest. We do this every week!
Highlighted Announcement
As the election season picks up steam for the November 4th finish line, it’s critical that we take it upon ourselves to understand how green the candidates really are. They may be talking the talk, but are they putting their vote where their mouth is? It’s not always easy to tell by how they campaign.
The League of Conservation Voters’ mission is “to advocate for sound environmental policies and to elect pro-environmental candidates who will adopt and implement such policies.” To this end they track the voting record on environmental issues for all national level politicians and give each one a score so you can compare the relative green quality of each person’s voting record.
- Check out the Presidential Profiles of all 2008 candidates. Here you’ll find a description of Biden’s, McCain’s, Obama’s, and other candidates’, environmental views. (They do not have a profile of Palin’s environmental views in the same format because she wasn’t a presidential candidate in 2008, but they have written a statement and five questions for her.)
- Check out the LCV National Environmental Scorecard to check out the voting records of your local candidates. Enter your state or zip code to pull up results for your Congress members.
If you have a green career or dream of having one, place your vote very carefully during this election.
Tip of the Week: The New Apollo Program: An Economic Investment Strategy
A number of groups are coming out with comprehensive plans for a new green economy. T. Boone Pickens is paying for television advertisements to publicize his plan. Al Gore launched his plan with a speech, a call to action for activists, and a website.
The Apollo Alliance, a coalition of business, labor, environmental, and community leaders, is working toward a clean energy revolution to reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign oil, cut carbon emissions, and expand economic opportunities for businesses and employees. Their goal is to speed up the investment in clean energy technology and energy efficiency, just as the country was inspired by the goal of the Apollo space program.
This month they’ve released an economic strategy for American prosperity called The New Apollo Program: Clean Energy, Good Jobs. This blueprint for the new green economy is a collaboration of several labor unions, environmental groups, businesses, industry associations, and socially responsible non-profits.
The report is an economic investment strategy focused on building a clean energy economy while cutting energy bills for families and businesses. As stated the plan will “generate and invest $500 billion over the next ten years and create more than five million high quality green-collar jobs” through five key initiatives.
Although it is not possible to adequately summarize the 23 page report in this space, we can highlight the main initiatives and point you to the full New Apollo Program report and the executive summary for the details.
The Key Initiatives of the New Apollo Program
1. Rebuild America Clean and Green
The goal of generating cleaner power and using it more efficiently is at the core of this plan. They put out a call for a number of solutions: focusing on a 30% improvement in energy efficiencies in the built environment by 2025, long term public support for producing 25% of the power through renewable sources by 2025, building a transmission system, recycling waste heat to use it as a power source, and finally finding more effective and convenient transit options.
2. Make it in America
Retool the manufacturing sector to produce durable equipment for the green economy. This means updating plants, training workers, and restructure supply chains so parts made in America are used.
3. Restore America’s Technological Leadership
Innovation, a key component of success, must be funded more aggressively. Scientific teams, research laboratories, and academic organizations are producing amazing innovations. To tap this valuable resource, funds must be made available to support initial research and take the most promising technologies to scale.
4. Tap the Productivity of the American People
Although a number of groups around the country are focusing on creating green pathways out of poverty, I was happy to see this plan acknowledges that we need workers at all levels who are poised to help the green economy gain traction. As they indicate, we need training programs for state and local green-collar workers that include internship programs. We also need to support high-skill, high-wage employees as they prepare as well. We must invest in students who are entering engineering and natural science degrees for they are also critical to the success of the green economy.
5. Reinvest in America
To fund new investments in industries, communities, and workers, the country must implement a system that puts a price on carbon emissions. With the funds paid, the country will be able to reinvest in strengthening energy efficiency, renewable power, alternative transportation, and green training.
Although bold, this investment plan equates to $50 billion per year – smaller share of the GDP than the original Apollo space program and one-third of what is spent in Iraq each year. They believe in, and provide a plan for, doing this without adding to our debt while ensuring American values and standards of equal opportunity, regional equity, a level playing field, and dignity of workers are all upheld.
When reading about a program like this it’s easy to get sucked into a whirlwind of doubt, fear, and worry. Will it work? How will I be impacted? What will happen to my family? How will it all unfold?
Unfortunately, whenever we face a big challenge there are no guarantees. Certainly those working on the space program had high expectations and pushed themselves to excel, even though they did not have a guarantee they’d be successful in their mission. And yet they were successful. In achieving their main mission, they also made discoveries and advances that fueled our economy for many years in the areas of computer science, digital communication, and materials.
In this time, we face a challenge like no other one we’ve ever encountered. While there are many unknowns, costs, and fears, there are also possibilities, expansions, and hope. We must all tap into our courage and determination, and hold a sense of optimism to bring about the green economy.
What You Can Do
If you are just beginning your exploration of the green economy, I recommend you spend some time reading the New Apollo Program report. Understanding the full scope of the green economy and what it will take to get there will help you see where you may fit in.
If you’ve been studying and tracking the green economy for a while, you may also find some new insights that will give you a deeper understanding of a particular element of the plan. Furthermore, the report is interlaced with a number of success stories that will show you how the process is already working.
Copyright © 2008 Transition Dynamics Enterprises, Inc.
"GCC's process was incredibly helpful in getting me started in a new career direction. The worksheets and brainstorming exercises in the What's Your Green Niche ebook helped me realize I already had the skills to launch a new green career. Today, less that four months later, I have a terrific salary doing business development for energy and environmental projects. Thanks to Green Career Central, my dream of merging my personal conviction with professional life came true."
-- Kelly Fergusson
Menlo Park Councilmember (Mayor, 2007) turned Business Development Manager of Energy & Environmental Solutions
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Are You Searching for Your Green Niche?
You know you want a green career, but do you know what you want to do in the green economy?
The key to discovering your green niche is pinpointing how to leverage your skills, passions, talents and experience to plug into the green economy.
When you know what part of the economy you want to target, you’ll have an entirely new level of clarity. With that new clarity, your current level of overwhelm and confusion will decrease.
The What’s Your Green Niche eBook eBook takes you through a step-by-step process to determine your green niche. Here's a list of some of the things you'll gain as you work through this eBook. You'll:
- Create your personal definition of success.
- Discover how you know what you are drawn to.
- Develop a list of your 40 favorite skills and interests with the help of checklists.
- Brainstorm over 40 career ideas based on your favorite skills and interests in an hour or so.
- Narrow your career ideas to your top two ideas.
- Develop a plan to achieve your green career goals whether you want to return to school, launch your job search, or start your business.
Members - Download (part of membership)
Non-Members - $55.00
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Green Career Central Blog:
Take Action - Call Congress!! Extend Tax Credits for Renewable Energy Investments: The future of the green economy will be much smoother if investors know what they can expect from their investment. Without the tax credits, investors are likely to withhold their funds. Discover how you can help. Read the post and add your comments.
Green Career Trends: In this week’s Green Career Trends, we explore Green Cement, World of Good, and Bio Diesel. Read the post and add your comments.
Always On's GoingGreen 100 Top Private Companies: AlwaysOn presents the second annual GoingGreen 100 Top Private Companies list, featuring leading private companies in a number of clean/green sectors. Is your next employer on the list? Read the post and add your comments.
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The discussion forum topic, audios, ebook, and articles listed below are available to members of GreenCareerCentral.com as a part of their membership. If you're not a member and would like to have immediate access, we'd love to have you join us now!
Green Career Central is a membership site with a comprehensive set of easy-to-use programs, resources, and events to help people achieve their green career dreams whether they want to find a green job, start a green business, or get a green education.
  
"Carol, thanks for your first Tip of the Week. Connecting with what I'm drawn to brought tears to my eyes and made me feel happy and excited. I now know what I'm looking for in my green career. I will continue to look to you and yours for support as I make my way forward. Thank you." -- Cheryl, Chicago, IL
Read what other members are saying about Green Career Central here....
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This Week's Drawing for a
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What's New at GreenCareerCentral.com
Green Companies
We’ve created a downloadable file that lists Always On’s GoingGreen Top 100 Private Companies in the areas of: biofuels, clean energy, energy efficiency and management, energy storage, green automobiles and transportation, green materials and green building, green nanotech, resource recovery and waste management, solar energy, water technology and water management. This is an easy way to discover companies in various green sectors. We provide live links to take you right to the company’s site and career page.
Green Job Boards
We’ve reviewed profession specific job boards for wind and solar. These two reviews point to nearly 200 job openings. Learn which job board is best for you.
Articles
Thinking of owning your own green business or greening a business you already own?
Check out the articles to help you Go Green!
Did You Know...
...if you missed a Tip of the Week, you can read the archived publications?
Green Career Tips Archive
About Us
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Green Career CentralTM is a virtual career center for motivated professionals who are ready to find a green career that fully expresses their passions, skills, values, and talents.
Carol McClelland, PhD, founder and Executive Director of Green Career Central, has helped thousands of people discover their dream career through her book Your Dream Career For Dummies and her work with individuals, groups, and students. Together with her team of experts, researchers and writers, Carol has pulled together sixteen years of experience into a broad collection of how-to articles, resources, support, and teleclasses to help you find your way to make a difference and prosper.
Why not have the green career you've been dreaming of? You can struggle on your own or gain support throughout your journey. The decision is obvious ... Join Us Now!
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