Production and maintenance of wind power is a source of green jobs.
Since President Barack Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act into law in the winter of 2009, there has been much talk about the creation of "green jobs." Approximately $60 billion from the stimulus package has been allocated for green industries, such as renewable energy, with the purpose of creating green jobs. However, an official definition of what a green job actually is has yet to be determined, though many informal definitions exist.
Consensus Definition
In the media, the simplest, most commonly agreed-upon definition of a green job is "a job that benefits both the economy and the environment." Certain politicians and journalists also consider a true green job to be a "blue collar" job in an industry that seeks to improve the quality of the Earth, such as renewable energy. For example, David Foster, the director of the BlueGreen Alliance, defined a green job as "a blue-collar job done for a green purpose" in an article for Workforce.com.
Debate Over Definition
However, the precise definition of a green job is still subject to debate. As Daniel Stone wrote in a July 2009 "Newsweek" article, certain energy sources--specifically natural gas--produce less carbon dioxide pollution than burning coal or oil. However, natural gas remains an unsustainable pollutant. Thus, a specific definition of a green job is subjective, as there is no consensus on whether a job in an energy industry that pollutes less than traditional fossil fuels could be considered "green."
Significance
Green jobs have been cited as a potential solution for the current economic crisis. Since many green jobs require skills typical of other industries, such as manufacturing, politicians such as Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Michigan) have cited green jobs as a way to employ skilled workers who have lost their jobs due to layoffs in traditional industries. Additionally, as the world's oil reserves are increasingly depleted, necessitating more energy from renewable sources, green jobs are almost certain to become much more prevalent in future decades.
Types
There are numerous kinds of green jobs. Professor Raquel Pinderhughes, writing for UrbanHabitat.org, lists 22 different sectors of green industry. Some of her designated green jobs include: building new energy-efficient homes and retrofitting old, energy-inefficient residences; urban agriculture; converting vehicles to run on biofuels and biodiesel; non-toxic chemical production; composting and recycling; and hazardous material clean-up. The most commonly agreed-upon source of current and future green jobs is alternative energy--specifically, solar, wind and geothermal power.
Future
Due to its nebulous formal definition, there is little data on the specific number of green jobs created by the stimulus package or any other form of government or corporate action. However, as the U.S. strives to achieve energy independence, a greater demand for green jobs is inevitable. Further government subsidy and corporate investment should be expected, and while green industry is growing slowly, it is more likely than not that the number of green jobs will increase in future decades.
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