Is my resume as hot as global warming????
In the United States, for example, there is strong evidence that investments in energy efficiency can boost the economy and create new, permanent jobs. At a recent Senate hearing on "Green Jobs Created by Global Warming Initiatives," Donald Gilligan, president of the National Association of Energy Service Companies (NAESCO), cited estimates that improvements in energy efficiency alone have met over 50 percent of the increase in U.S. energy demand since 1980. Much of this improvement has resulted from mandates and guidance provided by Congress and by state and federal agencies, including funding for technological innovation programs and the adoption of new rules promoting performance-based energy service contracting, appliance and equipment standards, and revised building codes.
To realize this level of employment, workers would need to be trained to design, manufacture, install, operate, and maintain a host of innovative renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. This past summer, the U.S. House of Representatives passed an energy bill that included the so-called "Green Jobs Act of 2007." If enacted, the bill would award grants for national- and state-administered worker-training programs in energy efficiency and renewable energy. It also calls for the establishment of research programs to collect and analyze data to determine workforce trends resulting from energy-related initiatives.
At the September UN meeting on climate change in September, Secretary-General Ban observed that, "by being creative, we can reduce emissions while promoting economic growth." Green jobs would be key to this effort, he suggested, noting that, "This is our opportunity to advance sustainable development; encourage new kinds of cleaner technologies, industries and jobs; and integrate climate change risks into national policies and practices." Una Song is the Director of Membership and Communications at the National Association of Energy Service Companies and a former intern at the Worldwatch Institute.