For a while there, it seemed as though the “go green” initiative had faded. The economy and job market plummeted and the idea of forcing companies to adhere to expensive green technology took a bit of a backseat to creating jobs and fixing our unemployment rate. If you thought it went away completely, though, you’d definitely be wrong. Even though going green isn’t as emphasized right now, it’s definitely still a priority for our country, government and ourselves. A while back Spark News discussed where the green jobs are. This discussed whether green jobs were in the private sector or the public. Today, we’re taking a look at what kind of green jobs are really hot right now.
News Watch for National Geographic outlined five of the hottest green jobs that are available today. While a lot of workers that were employed by wind powered energy sources are losing their jobs, workers in these areas are thriving.
Solar Power Professionals
It seems as though the price of solar panels is dropping. Making your building or home powered by the rays of the sun is significantly cheaper than what it used to be. As a result, there has been a spike in demand for these jobs. The Solar Foundation, a nonprofit advocacy organization for the industry, “reported that during 2011 solar job growth boomed at nearly 10 times the rate of overall employment gains.” For any industry, this amount of growth is awesome. As a matter of fact, more and more states are starting to jump on the solar power bandwagon. At first, it was California. This isn’t really surprising seeing as though California is one of the most green states. If you are looking to bust into the green industry, it’s highly suggested that you check out solar power, for it is likely very secure and will continue to grow.
Green Construction
It’s no secret that the construction industry was hit pretty hard by the recession. After all, if people are losing their jobs or taking pay cuts, they’re not going to consider home repairs. However, it seems as though builders focused on green building are doing pretty good in this market. A lot of companies and buildings have started to upgrade their offices to green friendly environments. Buildings want to adhere to green standards and in order to do that they need green builders. Even better is the fact that this industry will continue to boom and grow.
Sustainability Professionals
This business is a bit more rare than the others, but there is good money here. In this business, these professionals help businesses operate as sustainably as possible. Businesses want to be sure they are making good money, but they also want to make sure they are not doing harm to the environment and our planet. However, trying to make these two concerns mesh with each other is a bit difficult. That is why professionals in this industry are qualified to help businesses make money while also being environmentally sound. Who wouldn’t want that?
Green Cars
Everyone knows that cars are not the best mechanisms for our environment. Especially the old smelly ones. That’s why there is a big push for making them better for the environment. When the president put the pressure on the auto industry to shape up, the need for green automakers went up. If you are looking to get into the auto industry, this is where the money is- and the jobs.
Sustainable Farming
Once again, sustainable business is definitely a priority today. We want to make sure we are producing enough food and crops for ourselves, but we also need to be careful not to harm our environment and planet in the process. News Watch reports that “the Organic Trade Association’s 2011 industry survey showed a nearly 10 percent jump in U.S. organic sales from 2009 to 2010, continuing the trend of an industry that soared from sales of $1 billion annually in 1990 to nearly $27 billion in 2010.” Those are huge jumps and it doesn’t seem as though this industry is going anywhere. In fact, it’s likely that this industry will continue to boom.
SOURCE: National Geographic News Watch
IMAGE: Courtesy of Green Degrees Now
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