“Green” is no longer in question

"Going green" is the most dominant theme of the workplace, and it will continue to be for decades to come. Until now, it has been a vague concept. Everyone kind of knew it was there but didn't really know what it looked like.

That's changed. It's all coming into focus, so the question is no longer if or when these jobs will come, but where. Research and observation of the job market and of the green arena leads us to project job growth in 33 areas, falling into nine broad categories. This surely will change, but this is what it looks like from here.

1. Science and Environmental Sciences

Forestry. One of the culprits in pollution and the greenhouse effect is deforestation. Plants absorb that nasty carbon dioxide and give us back that wonderful oxygen. Where is the largest concentration of plants? Forests. Planting trees, then, becomes more than just an environmental necessity; it will be a huge investment area and profit center.

Atmospheric Science. These scientists have already played a major role; it's how we know not only about global warming and the greenhouse effect, but also the extent of it. Their role in the next few decades will be to keep us focused on this issue and to monitor it -- and our progress on reversing the damage done.

Environmental Science. These are the people who study and report on climate change. They will continue to be central in the entire green economy, not to mention preservation of our national parks and forests.

Landscape, Horticulture, Agriculture and Agronomy. These are the sciences and technologies of using plants for food, fuel and fiber; for conservation, reclamation and clean up; and for creating "environmental balance." Native Americans knew of these things for centuries. Now we have to catch up.

2. Business, Finance, and Consulting

Alternative Energy Sources. Plenty of alternative sources of energy are feasible -- some just more than others right now, like nuclear, wind and some types of solar. But as the field matures, you'll see the influence of biofuels and biomass, geothermal, hydroelectric, "brown" energy (converting waste -- manure, for the most part -- into usable, efficient energy), tidal and wave technologies.

Manufacturing. Companies that manufacture newly designed products will have to redesign themselves just to do it in environmentally kind ways. Enter not just engineers, but operations and logistics, process improvement, finance and strategic planning, to name a few.

Accounting and Forensic Accounting. Any new industry is like the Old West: lots of opportunists and very few rules and laws. Same thing here. The rules of the game have yet to be established, so these professionals will play an important role in the process of determining the money trail and helping regulators with prosecution.

Carbon Consulting. The 21st century's three-letter acronym is GHG: greenhouse gases. Virtually every business, government and military has created them, not to mention our personal use of fossil fuel consumption. Now, all these entities will have employees (entire departments, perhaps) to deal with their GHG emissions, and with the subsequent carbon credits and trading.

Carbon Capture. OK, so we produce a lot of carbon emissions and we know we've got to capture them. Then what? What do we do with all that carbon dioxide? There are very smart, creative people who are coming up with the answers, but we've a long way to go. If you can figure out what to do with it, you'll become ridiculously rich, and you'll change the world -- not necessarily in that order.

Emissions Trading. This is kind of like a stock exchange, only with emissions -- and not just carbon, but others. It's more of a financial endeavor than scientific, but equally critical, especially to level the competitive playing field. Licensing alone will be big in this sector.

Insurance and Risk Management. All industries need insurance and risk management. The green industry will be no different, but the actuarial tables haven't even been put together yet. Wildly creative minds are needed here, as in many other areas.

Greenhouse Gas Auditing and Compliance. Remember the pictures from the 1950s and '60s of smokestacks belching into our air and drainage pipes dumping into our rivers? That's because there was no inspection and oversight. No more. These professionals will work across all sectors: the government, environmental consulting firms, NGOs, and financial and investment firms.

Energy Management. In mid-20th century industry, these people were called "efficiency experts." This century, they will use the same skills to monitor production, consumption and utility rates. Their jobs will be to find cost savings.

3. Household and Public Services

Household. Plumbers, landscapers, roofers, painters, HVAC technicians, chimney and duct cleaners, trash haulers and many others all will have to learn -- or relearn -- to do their jobs in new ways, no longer using environmentally unfriendly materials, discarding waste or dumping in fills.

Public. Local recycling centers will become more prominent and will create partnerships between private businesses and municipal governments.

4. Architecture and Construction

Architecture. Every building -- new or old -- will have to meet new green standards and practices. Architects who design or redesign these buildings will have to have the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. Many have already done that.

Construction. Materials, processes, equipment and planning will all change. So will the financing and cost. So will what the final product looks like and how it functions.

5. Information Technology

Environmental Information Systems. Monitoring equipment, facilities and waste products off industrial plants will not just be important, it will be required. Highly specialized computer systems and software, along with their advanced programmers, designers and project managers, will prevail in the green economy.

Geographical Information Systems. The need to organize GIS data for accurate decision-making becomes more critical every day. It is also becoming more complex. There will be growing numbers of degrees and certificates in this area each year. Count on it.

Computer Aided Design. A profession that has existed for decades will take on a new face. Every engineering and construction project from here on will have to be done in new ways. Therefore, the design must be new as well.

6. Engineering

Environmental Engineering. These professionals will design and redesign our water and wastewater treatment systems. They will consult on how buildings and airports will interact with surroundings. They will play a large role in making sustainability a reality.

Geotechnical Engineering. These engineers will design and oversee the construction of dams, levees, tunnels and other infrastructure projects. What they do will affect whatever we do.

Civil Engineering. This field holds endless possibilities, especially since our nation's infrastructure is badly in need of overhaul (a fortuitous confluence of events). Roads, airports, bridges dams, you name it, they're all in play.

Electrical Engineering. The nation's electrical grid and power plants are old and vulnerable. Electrical engineers, with their new orientation, will change that.

Mechanical Engineering. These professionals will revamp the heating and cooling systems for virtually every building on this planet. We hear of "green buildings" but do we realize how sophisticated their energy and climate control systems are? Mechanical engineers do.

Nuclear Engineering. Controversial as you might think it is, nuclear energy promises the most immediate return on investment of any alternative energy investment. Just ask the French. More than 70 percent of French people get all or part of their energy from nuclear sources. And they've figured out how to reuse the used nuclear rods safely. Watch for government funding and private capital in all of this.

Structural Engineering. This is a no-brainer. Although structural engineers have been around since Stonehenge (or before), it goes without saying that they will be key green players.

7. Regulatory and Government

Regulatory. The EPA and other government agencies, both federal and state, will grow just to keep up with new companies, technologies, products and processes. This is going to be a huge area. It has to be.

Waste Management (including treatment) and Recycling. This is the front line in the battle: from household trash to nuclear waste, from batteries to old laptops and cell phones, from detergents to jet fuel, from scrap metal to garden debris. It's already here and getting bigger by the day. Although in the private sector, waste management is inextricably tied to the EPA.

8. Transit and Transportation

Transit (especially light rail). The 2009 Recovery Act has committed big money to transit projects in major metropolitan areas around the country. American expansion in the second half of the 20th century depends on cars and trucks. Our sustainability in this century will ride the rails.

Green Cars. No, this is not a color choice; it's a mandate. The automobile industry is well into this technology; they just haven't brought it to market fast enough. Cars can run on electricity, ethanol, sugar, hydrogen, even vapor. But when we say, "fill 'er up," we're still talking about gas. Not for much longer though.

9. Education and Training

Education and Training. The green job market goes from laboratory to manufacturing plant, to distribution channels to finance, and now to the classroom. Count on seeing courses called "Environmental Justice" in the not too distant future. Everything that was taught will now have to be retaught. Training and development firms will fill themselves with "green trainers" who will reach into every corner of private, nonprofit, and government training suites.

Publishing and Journalism. Somebody's got to write about all this, publish the textbooks, cover the stories, do the technical and business writing and so forth. This is really a part of the green education issue.

No question: Green is the new revolution, and it's going to be even bigger than the PC revolution. It will be more widespread, create more jobs, and affect more people (everyone on the planet, in fact) than the PC did.

Both short- and long-term, job and career opportunities are, obviously, green.

Career coach Eli Amdur conducts workshops and one-on-one coaching in career planning, career skills development, resumes, interviewing and communication. He can be reached by e-mailing eli.amdur@amdurcoaching.com or by calling 201-357-5844. His website is www.amdurcoaching.com.