Talking Green

UNEP Definition of Green Jobs..

Yesterday, I posted my question about "what is a green job?", since there's no clear cut definition out there on the subject. So, treat this as my obsession to find a simple yet meaningful definition of green jobs, in addition to the one I heard at a conference.

Green jobs by definition, via UNEP's (United Nations Environment Program): 

We define green jobs as work in agricultural, manufacturing, research and development (R&D), administrative, and service activities that contribute substantially to preserving or restoring environmental quality. Specifically, but not exclusively, this includes jobs that help to protect ecosystems and biodiversity; reduce energy, materials, and water consumption through high efficiency strategies; de-carbonize the economy; and minimize or altogether avoid generation of all forms of waste and pollution.

[via report on Green Jobs: Towards decent work in a sustainable, low-carbon world]

What is a Green Job?

Everyone is so excited with the prospect of green jobs. Who doesn't? With unemployment level at record high. Obama Administration wanted to create 5 million jobs in the next 10 years by investing $150B in renewable energy. To start with the Stimulus package includes the $500M funding appropriated for green jobs training. And with the $76B in direct and indirect incentives, the upside potential for green jobs is definitely here.

However, before we cheer on its upside potential, can we at least agree on one thing: what is a green job, anyway? Because there's just too many definition floating out there. There's no clear cut definition of what is green, green job.

Thanks to IREC to have a write-up on this topic recently. They've done a good job compiling 'green jobs' definition from various sources, including from Van Jones, Phil Angelides with Apollo Alliance, Joel Makower with GreenBiz, Rona Fried with SustainableBusiness.com, and more. It's true the more you look at the definition, the more likely you get confused, because there's simply no clear cut definition available, via IREC.

We have looked at some definitions that are being used and have also reviewed some recent reports and mission statements.  The more we dig, the more questions are raised.  We think it is important to have a working definition but one that isn’t limiting nor one that is too vague that it could be used to misrepresent the intent of green jobs.

When I Googled definition of 'what is a green job,' there was 291M sites with matched search word. Oh my! Here are some examples:

• Van Jones: "My definition of a green-collar job is this:  it is a family-supporting, career-track job that directly contributes to preserving or enhancing environmental quality." [IREC]
  
• Phil Angelides: "It has to pay decent wages and benefits that can support a family. It has to be part of a real career path, with upward mobility. And it needs to reduce waste and pollution and benefit the environment." [Time]
• Joseph Romm: "Green jobs are living-wage, career-track jobs that contribute to preserving or enhancing environmental quality." [Grist]
• Repower America: "Green jobs provide healthy environments for workers while helping build a clean economy. These are good jobs involving work that is often familiar. Plumbers, welders, carpenters and others continue to use their skills, but in fields like renewable energy, sustainable agriculture or green building. They install solar energy panels on rooftops, build wind turbines, retrofit homes for energy efficiency, and much more." [Repower America]
• Robert Pollin (PERI): "I'm greatly in favor of investing in things that will promote a clean environment, fight global warming, and those investments will all create jobs, and I don't really care what color they are." [Alternet]
• And more..

You see how confusing they are. It's a 'mouthful' just trying to define it..

And then, Fast Company have its list of 10 best green jobs for next decade. Their top 10 jobs includes some jobs mentioned by people quoted above plus other industries like farming, forestry, urban planning, etc.

A while back when I attended 'Good Jobs, Green Jobs' conference, in one of the meetings, there was somebody who gives a short and simple definition. (sorry I couldn't recall his name). This is what he said:

"Green job is any job that help reduce carbon footprint"

Keyword: any.

There you go. Simple, no?

Blogging Green Jobs National Conference (day 1)

I am blogging from Omni Shoreham Hotel in DC the site of national conference. Connection is poor (read: no signal), so this is a delayed blogging. The ballroom, where event is held - is packed. There’s probably more than 500 attendees. Today is the first day of the conference. Line up of speakers for today among others include: David Foster (Blue Green Alliance), Leo Gerard (United Steelworker), Donald Kennedy (Sierra Club), Achim Steiner (UNDP), Larry Cohen (CWA), Denise Bode (AWEA), Peter Lehner (NRDC). Rep. Keith Ellison (MN-5) will also talk.

9:00 David Foster the Exec. Director of Blue Green Alliance give a welcome remarks. Let’s talk to Congress make sure they make a big downpayment on the green economy.

9:19 Leo Gerard, Intl. President of United Steelworkers. He said his parents be upset if he says ‘bullshit’ as his introduction. Thanks some corporation veeps, Al Gore, Gamesa, etc. These corps. understand and understood the one thing in common they represented by United Steelworkers. He’s much happier this year than last year. There’s no free market. All market is regulated. Quoted Apollo Alliance study of investment $100B would create 2 mil green jobs. Talks about relationship with Gamesa. 100% union in America. Think about what we can do if every town and cities have resources, retrofit those buildings. Housing is flat. Some members don’t have jobs. Smart grid allows to move energy without losing much. Create millions of jobs. Fascinating to watch what happens on the Hill, esp. Republicans. There are some Democrats, too. Majority in the room over 30. Quoted FDR. Barack Obama is going to be our FDR. We know where his heart is. Direction pointed in. We know he can’t get there by himself. See labor not as a problem, but as a solution. 58% of manufacturing goods, imported goods from China are from cos. used to manufacture products here. Talks about global warming. Closing by saying that it’s time for Canadian gov. to start defending their workers.

9:42 Don Kennedy speaks. Thanks Leo for BS intro. 2 big probs: global warming, fiscal chilly. Mechanism we can use to solve this probs. New spirit of leadership here. Soon to be expressed by me and you. He’s glad that ‘science is back.’ Welcoming it back. It’s really a new set of players.

9:49 Achim Steiner representing UNEP. UNEP is the first of UN family happens to open office located in Kenya. 2006 met Barack O in Kenya. This meeting is quite extra ordinary. The labor movement is again today is movement of people. What it means to be citizens of global economy. Sustainable economy. The fact today more jobs in RE than gas +oil industry. Green jobs already happening in part because of environment. Climate change. Imagine 30/40 yrs from now there won’t be any commercial fisheries. Ecosystem. Water crisis. This is an outcome of ignorance, arrogance think about what we’re doing today and how we should change course. This moment in America is extraordinary. How the people elected leader such as Pres. Obama. To drive the future of economy. Green eco. recovery package are now all over the world, it’s a global discussion. Whether is Japan, China. Where are the jobs going to come from? There’s fundamental shift. More efficient, less polluting. This is the role UN plays. Roosevelt is quoted. Market is not free forces, never been. FDR is one of the architects of what’s vital in the global eco.

10:06 Larry Cohen intro. Steel workers rapid change team had rally incl. rebirth of workers rights. Begin 1m march to bring back workers rights, free choice act. Clean environment. Talk about Canada, Columbia trade agreement. Fair trade v. sustainable economy. Unite the employee free choice act. They’re related. We all believe in sustainable economy. We believe that what we produce is more important than what we consume. Workers can’t be just another commodity. Workers have rights around the world. 1mil members march is about bring back workers rights. Without workers can’t make green economy a reality. Talk about 2 of CWA’s members work with different cos of why we’re marching today. Good jobs, green jobs we have to work for it. Sustainable eco. is not about protectionist. A lot of this conf. is about good public policy. 1.4 mil people mobilize. Sustainability is what unite us. Barack said that this is our time. Econ recovery is not about jobs. We want green jobs. 

We're waiting for Congressman Keith Ellison, (D-MN). Schedule shows 11am.

11:10: Peter Lehner talks about challenges how challenges also creates opportunities. Good jobs that bring dignity for our family and community. Economy system is part of economy system. Gives example of climate change affecting a lot of us. 51k jobs can be created in mass transit. We need comprehensive policy. Now.

11:18 Keith Ellison was introduced from Montana.. ooops! Should have been Minnesota. Ellison warms up to the crowd. This is an opportunity for all of us to be part of worldwide movement to save our jobs. This is our business. Can't exclude anybody. We can't leave anybody out. Solidify our coalition. It starts from the local community. Start getting the civil rights comm + labor + environment talk about our collective problems. Talk about stimulus package and process. Empower people to get active. You gotta right the bill. Bill is not done until it is sign by the President. Gotta impact this process. Save this economy right now. Reach out and get everybody and everybody make green economy. Thanks the audience for their time.

11: 32 Deniso bode talks about 20% of wind energy by 2030. US tops in wind energy production pass Germany. 25MW can generate enough electricity to power 7M homes. Pres. Obama's vision to double production by 2012 is visible. Now, let's talk about jobs. We're adding jobs even as the econ. sluggish. '07 & '08 adding or expanding 70 new facilities in U.S. Great news for American workers. Every job created in this industry is a new one. Wind projects can be built quickly. Let's work together to get the tools. Together, we can get the job done.

Attendees will go to the Hill for advocacy day (read: grassroots lobbying). And am back to office to take care some biz.

Technorati Tags: green energy,sustainable economy,green jobs,climate change,2009 good jobs green jobs conference,washington dc,green building,global warming,global economy, greenhouse gas

Support SB1447: Va. Energy Efficiency Bill

I received an email from CCAN to support this energy efficiency bill that is likely to move forward.

Dear Dewita,

The momentum to pass a meaningful energy efficiency bill in Virginia is growing at a rapid pace and an energy efficiency bill is likely to move forward in the state capitol very soon.

We're building on the growing momentum with a Statewide Call In Day today!

There are competing bills that are likely to move forward in Richmond. We need every legislator to know that their constituents support true energy efficiency in Virginia.

Will you just take a moment to call your Senator in Richmond? Tell them:

• To support Senator McEachin's energy efficiency legislation, SB 1447. This legislation calls for a mandatory 19% reduction in energy use by 2025 while rewarding utilities for their efficiency investments, and creates jobs while lowering electricity bills.

• To oppose Senator Wagner's so-called "efficiency" legislation, SB 1348. The Wagner bill would pay utilities to reduce energy consumption during peak usage -- something utilities will do regardless -- instead of reducing the total amount of energy consumed in Virginia.

For a complete call script, click here: www.chesapeakeclimate.org/vacall

To find your legislators' phone numbers, click on this link: http://conview.state.va.us/whosmy.nsf/main?openform

From the language (below), this is a pretty strong bill - for Virginia! The bill is sponsored by Sen. Donald McEachin (D).

Here's the summary, via Virginia legislation.

Energy efficiency by electric utilities.
� Requires investor-owned electric utilities and electric cooperatives to implement energy efficiency programs.

�Utilities are eligible to recover costs of approved programs that achieve quantifiable, observable savings where the scope of the program is sufficient to reduce demand from retail customers by amounts needed to attain a targeted 19 percent consumption reduction goal by 2025.

�Investor-owned electric utilities are also eligible to earn a 200 basis points' enhanced return on equity on investments in approved energy efficiency programs.

�The integrated resource plans developed by electric utilities shall include investments in energy efficiency resources sufficient to achieve a 19 percent reduction in the utility customer's consumption in 2025, compared to the projected level of consumption that would occur without such investments.

�The net energy metering program shall be revised to supplement energy efficiency programs.

�The State Corporation Commission is required to develop regulations that provide access to the electrical grid by distributed generators with combined heat and power systems.

�The measure requires electric cooperatives to prepare integrated resource plans on the same terms applicable to investor-owned electric utilities.

� If a utility fails to comply with a benchmark, it is required to pay an alternate compliance payment in an amount not to exceed 3 cents per kilowatt hour consumed in excess of the benchmark amount.

�Funds collected from alternate compliance payments are to be deposited in a special fund named the Virginia Energy Efficiency and Integrated Resource Plan Compliance Fund.

� The Fund shall be used to finance financial incentives, including grants and low-interest loans, to persons other than utilities for the implementation of energy efficiency and conservation programs.

� A Virginia Energy Efficiency Commission is established as an advisory Commission in the executive branch to evaluate the success of energy efficiency programs, to verify the achievements of such programs, and to identify new cost-effective opportunities for new energy efficiency programs.

Full text of the bill is here.

World Carbon Emissions (since 1902)

A picture worth a thousand words, via Thomson Reuters (subscription).

click on image to enlarge..

Just by looking at the graphic above, the U.S. and China basically competing for the big two polluters place in the world, which is not a good place to be.

Exxon CEO a Carbon Tax Convert?

Now this is interesting. Exxon CEO is in Al Gore camp? According to WSJ the CEO, Rex Tillerson, backs emission (carbon) tax as oppose to cap-and-trade, a policy supported by other oil cos. like ConocoPhillips, US division of BP, and Shell.

Exxon CEO speak may redux le resistance on taxing carbon, from WSJ.

In a speech in Washington, Rex Tillerson said that a tax was a "more direct, a more transparent and a more effective approach" to curtailing greenhouse gases than other plans popular in Congress and with the incoming Obama administration.

Contrast that to this statement from Exxon on global warming in 2007, via Guardian.

The world's biggest non-state-owned oil group said its position on global warming had been repeatedly misunderstood and it had come to accept there should be a US federal - and preferably global - carbon tax through a cap-and-trade system.
--
Exxon "leaned" towards a cap-and-trade system for the US that would license "upstream" power providers like itself rather than "downstream" power users as in Europe because that would place the cost of carbon on most active parts of the economy rather than just a few players.

Carbon tax or cap-and-trade?.. which one is better. Uhm. Think we shouldn't worry about it (at least for now), because Environmental Capital is saying that Congress may not get around to cap-and-trade this year.

How Building Sector Can Make A Difference..

 LIVE FROM ECOBUILD WASHINGTON

Just got back from High Performance Building Caucus Coalition meeting. Ed Mazria (with Architecture 2030) opened the meeting this morning. This is the second time I heard him talking. Very impressive. First he talked about Obama's transition economic package, the challenges facing building industry, and the opportunities for the industry to make a difference.

He says, that "with the economic package for all new buildings to be carbon-neutral, zero emission by 2030, there's a lot of opportunity for the industry pushing the envelope" since 76% of U.S. electricity consumption is for building operations. He says, that each year in the US, we build approximately 5 billion s.f., 72 billion s.f. of offices is potential for tear down, another 150 bil s.f. for renovation, so by 2038 three-quarters of buildings in the U.S. will either be new or renovated. The transformation for build environment is to dramatically reduce energy consumption and the need for coal-fired power plants.

Why efficiency? It saves consumer money. Simple as that..

Opportunity lies in energy construction reduction legislations, i.e. where Federal buildings targeted 55% reductions in energy by 2010, carbon neutral by 2030. Gave example of recent California legislation that require Net Zero Energy buildings.

The 2030 challenge calls for: 1) all new buildings and renovations to cut 50% of annual consumption, if we do this we wiped out the increase and aim for coal reductions. 2) There should be fossil fuel reduction standard for all buildings be increased to 60% in 2010, 70% in 2015, 80% in 2020, and carbon neutral by 2030.

Ed recommends ramping up the National Model of Building Energy Code Standard, with target dates by 2010 30% of buildings below code, 50% below code by 2016, 75% below code by 2022 and by 2028 will be carbon neutral or zero emission. He also mentioned about asking the Fed for $84.6 billion for building energy efficiency buildings that over 5 years will save consumer $170 billion.

--

** Notes:
- There's a lot of detail that goes between the last paragraph. However, because he talks so fast, I couldn't even read some of my handwriting :-)
- Images pulled from Architecture 2030 website.
- EcoBuild suppose to have the video clip of the meeting sometime soon..

Resources:

* The 2030 Blueprint

* Meeting the 2030 Challenge Through Building Codes

Largest Solar Project Coming to Prince Georges

It's labeled as one of Maryland's largest solar projects with 150-kilowatt coming online from 9,000 s.f. of solar panels covering the HQ of a business outfit, John Kelley & Sons, in Prince Georges county. The project is a 20-year PPA (purchase-power-agreement) with Washington Gas Energy (and not PEPCO?).

Via SolarBuzz.

Three Washington, D.C. area companies are to construct one of Maryland’s largest solar power systems at the headquarters of John E. Kelly & Sons Electrical Construction in Prince George’s County. Nearly 9,000 square feet of solar panels will cover the building’s roof, generating enough electricity to meet more than half the needs of the 20,000 square foot office/warehouse facility.

This PPA agreement in a nutshell. WGE owns the system with John Kelley buys the electricity from them and another company - Standard Solar - takes care of the rest, i.e. developing, design, construct, operate and maintain the system.

The PPA concept is good for business, especially in this economy, because it saves the up-front costs of installing, maintaining the solar system that typically exists in buy outright.

If It Isn't Boring, It's Green

I went to attend the Green Recovery event today, hosted by Center for American Progress. The room was packed! Think there were more people coming to this event than last one (with Van Jones). The three featured speakers are: Gov. Rendell (PA), Thomas Friedman, author of the book "Hot, Flat and Crowded," and Carol Browner, former Administrator of EPA who is now a Principal with Albright Group, LLC.

A few notes from the event.

Rendell:

• "The big motherlode is still coal. We're truly the Saudi Arabia of coal."
• Talks about the new deal op-ed by Paul Krugman referring to FDR when faced with the price tags during Depression.
• The 5 things we must do: 1) Make tax credit for renewable energy permanent, 2) Fuel portfolio standard, 3) Federal investments into clean technology (mention about PA energy independence fund), 4) No more burning coals, and 5) Invest in infrastructure sensitive to help become green like freight trains, mass transit, etc.
• In the end, we still have to sell this idea (conservation, energy efficiency, and use of renewable energy) to the American people.

Friedman:

• Green is the new red, white and blue. If it isn't boring, it's green. 
• After every book tour, his pocket is always stuffed with biz cards of innovators. This just show that there are so many people out there working on some ideas. Even the craziest green ideas.
• ET= energy technology revolution.
• Exxon is not your friend. They are not on Facebook. They don't have chat room for people to talk to them directly. So, he encourages the young people to get out of FB and move into the board room and speak out. 
• Mother nature is about chemistry, biology and physics so we can't tell ma nature our excuse of not to do anything about climate change "sorry, we have a recession."

Heard it also there Gov. Rendell was asked twice by reporters about the potential of him becoming Sec. of Energy or in maybe getting in to some sort of advisory capacity for the White House. Another reporter asked Carol if she'll be heading to EPA (again). Both flatly denied the rumors.

It was not easy to juggle between taking notes and listening to the speakers. I could hardly read my own notes. However, because we're living on the Internet speed, CAP has the short version of video of the program (from their website).

Here it is, enjoy..

The Money Quote..

...it's right-on-the money quote on energy efficiency.

The energy efficiency improvements we identified would require additional annual investments of 170 billion US dollars over the next 13 years. But those investments would generate a return of more than 900 billion US dollars annually by 2020, thanks to reduced energy use. That’s an average annual rate of return of 17 percent based on a long-term oil price of 50 US dollars per barrel – the returns would be even greater with higher oil prices.

- from Economic opportunities in a low-carbon world