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Sunday, March 21, 2010
Green Slow To Grow
By Michael Hartranft
Journal Staff Writer
The hype for a green economy is certainly here, but the mass of new jobs predicted to accompany it has yet to arrive.
Nevertheless, those tracking New Mexico's transition to green say that day is very close, and the range of careers that goes with it will offer plenty of opportunities.
Those were some of the messages participants heard at the recent Green Careers Fair 2010 at Santa Fe Community College, where about 25 exhibitors talked about their institutions and businesses and the kinds of work they expect to offer.
Patty Armstrong, the college's Career Services coordinator, quickly set the record straight about the day's objective: This was not a jobs fair. "This is a career fair," said Armstrong, whose diverse list of exhibitors included solar and geothermal system installers as well as grocers and Shaklee Products representatives. "This is talking about the shifting consciousness of the country, and the world, that is, sustainability, green jobs, and what that means."
Keynote speaker Carol McClelland provided some of that insight as author of a new book, "Green Careers for Dummies." It explores more than 50 green industries and provides tips about how to find one's niche in the green economy.
"There is a misconception that the green economy is this economy over here," she said gesturing outward with one hand during an interview with the Journal. "It's not. It is the greening of our economy."
And it goes well beyond just erecting solar panels on one's roof.
"Green, to me, is anything that improves the environment in some way," McClelland said. "It could be reducing greenhouse gas emissions, reducing waste, increasing energy efficiency. It could be better water management, restoring nature, reducing hazardous waste. Those are the various ways a company, or an industry, or a person could help the environment."
And the transition is just unfolding.
"The industrial revolution took 150 years to get it from the first invention of the textile machine to the early automotive assembly lines," she said. "Now, we're moving into what they're calling the third industrial revolution, and I can't believe it's going to take another 150 years because things move a lot faster now. But we have to give it more than two or three years."
To be sure, the general economic downturn has slowed things down, and keeping tabs of what the green economy has produced in jobs so far is difficult to put a finger on, said McClelland, who works out of California.
"Nobody can agree on a definition of green jobs, so it's hard to come up with exact numbers," she said. "Part of the reason is that of the stimulus money that is coming from the national government. Only 12 percent of that went to green projects last year. Most of it went to health and income security, but as we move closer to 2012, more and more, a higher percent each year is going to go toward green projects."
She said a number of venture capital companies are starting to fund green projects as well.
Randy Grissom, director of the Sustainable Technologies Center at the community college, agreed there are signs of a turnaround.
"I'm really expecting that we're going to see some increasing demand this year unless we hit the double dip recession," he said. "I think people feel like they can afford to let loose of some money they're holding onto and take advantage of the incentives and some of the financing. I think we're going to see more and more homeowners and small businesses adding solar photovoltaics to their businesses and homes to lower their utility costs, and that's going to create job to sell, design and install those systems."
Santa Fe Community College has emerged as one of the state's leaders when it comes to training the workforce for the green economy, offering associate of applied sciences degrees in solar energy and water conservation as well as certificate programs in solar, biofuels, green building and other areas.
Biofuels is an emerging field, Grissom said.
"We think a lot of people will create their own positions," he said. "They can create small business to develop biofuels or to grow algae and sell it, or have some kind of cooperative production venture."
The solar industry, of course, is also growing, and people with skills in traditional trades have some valuable experience to include in their portfolios.
"Most people I'm working with are looking for people who can help with design, sales and installation," Grissom said. "Obviously, in the solar photovoltaic area, if you're a licensed electrician, you're going to move to the head of the line for a job because you've got to have a licensed electrician on the job. The same is true on the solar thermal side — you've got to have a licensed plumber on the job."
Spencer Terrell of Santa Fe said he's taking solar classes at Santa Fe Community College and hopes to land a position in sales in that field. He said he moved here from Salt Lake City, Utah, and has found New Mexico to have a "much more mature business model," particularly when it comes to the move to green.
"The state of New Mexico has been a leader making sure renewable energy options are available to the public, which is a win for business," he said.
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