Green jobs (in green sector)

There are lots of direct green jobs now, such as working for a solar panel supplier or installer, wind turbine company, etc - this list is huge. There are even green PR companies now.

These types of jobs still have the usual energy overheads - or embedded energy - but at least they are in a green sector.

Green jobs include:

• proper jobs with green building or transport companies
• organic farming

• organic clothes
• organic health and beauty products
• vitamins and health supplements
• children's organic clothes children's lotions
• education and training in green technologies and concepts
• consultancy in green industries, from construction to transport - all sectors can be made less energy intensive
• government or council jobs - a vast green bureaucracy is approaching fast
• Home Improvement Inspector (HIP) - UK - this is an easy job and requires only a bit of training. All houses for sale need an HIP check.

Sustainable organic farming

Soy - used increasingly in food and biofuel.

Wheat etc - starchy staples - Biofuel - but this is not green - the opposite in fact, due to deforestation to create biofuel plantations. Which means that accredited biofuel sources will be more in demand.

Wood - grow FSC (Forestry Stewardship Council) or organic timber - if you have a spare forest that is.

Low carbon transport systems

Such as hybrid, electrical, hydrogen etc - these will be chosen by green companies, so if you start a servcie now, there is huge growth potential

Organic plants and flowers

Can be sold to existing florists and garden centres.

Eco holidays

If you have a knowledge on eco issues, you can get a job at an eco holiday resort. There are more of these around now. They are a bit dubious environmentally, but it could be a step towards a career as a journalist, writer or guru or TV presenter on green issues.

Eco holiday home

If you have a second home that you rent out, why not make it an eco home, with an eco or rewild garden? This is great fun to do and will appeal to a wealthier audience.

You could even include composting duties as part of the added attractions!

Green media

Become an expert on green issues and sell your stories, or start a blog and get some syndication. This is a good thing to do if you are unemployed or not very busy, as it requires a lot of input and time.

Recycling services

Old junk has a lot of valuable metals in it, especially things like old computers and cars. As metal prices rise, this becomes a viable business. So if you fancy being a green Steptoe (for non UK, a TV comical junk yard man), start small and build it up.

Recycled wood and other materials - furniture and art

This gives a green spin to your job or hobby, and can make some interesting items. Low materials cost too.

Recycling of materials into objects or panels

Tiles and panels can also be made from old materials such as mobile phones. This can be done on any scale from small (=art) to large (=commercial supplier).

Energy production - Cash from Microgeneration

If there is a decent feed in tariff (FIT) as in Germany, a profit can be made from installing solar photovoltaic (PV) panels and other devices like wind turbines which generate electricity that can be sold back to the national grid.

Put panels on all available surfaces. You can even put up an array in a spare piece of garden, with orientation control to keep it pointed at the sun. If it can make a profit in northerly Germany, try it in Spain or California.

This is what muni-solar (or munisolar) is all about - solar power stations.

The same applies to wind farms, but they are more difficult to set up, and you are less likely to find a good windy spot.

Water power - hydropower - is also a great idea but you have to have your own stream or river access.

Incidentally, in the future with energy prices rising, why not put hydropower units in sewers? Clog free if possible. That would be sewerpower. Or drainpower.

Biomass uses organic materials as a fuel source, and is very good where there is a lot of old rubbish or leftover combustible material. This is used by some councils to use waste that cannot be recycled.

It can either burn the materials, like a normal power station, or decompose the material, which is more like a compost heap.

This is useful to save money by providing energy on a farm or small holding, but less practical for domestic use.

Biomass is also used in large scale power plants where economies of scale are obtained.

CHP - combined heat and power - can be used in housing estates or offices. If you join the residents' management committee, you can lobby for these changes.

Carbon trading

This is the marketplace for carbon emmission units. It is very complex and rather weird, and doesn't do much to help, as it means big polluters just buy some credits off someone else; the idea is to create an incentive to go green for big industry.

Consider a tree plantation as a source of carbon, and then sell the units captured by the plants as your credit.

I have looked at an algae based system, with solar powered pumps for the hydrology, and this would be a workable carbon sequestering system.

Nano diamonds

Use a solar powered nanotechnology system to manufacture diamonds, atom by atom. In the future perhaps!

Energy saving products

Solar battery chargers, organic anything, fairtrade products, etc. Supply these instead of the usual rubbish, and get a better niche market, that will buy all sorts of things once you have sold them one item.

Digital services

You can run a whole online business doing editing, photo retouching, proofing, etc, all from your home with big energy savings. If you use a laptop instead of a big fat computer you will also save energy and have a portable office if you want to physically meet a client (which is rare after the first meetings).

Second Life

This is the online multi user environment - not the after life (although you will use even less energy when you are dead).

Some people allegedly make money here, but whenever I go there it is deserted apart from some middle aged men with 'babe' style avatars. My name there is Organo Triangle if you want to say hi.

Ebay, Gumtree, Craig's List, Amazon Marketplace etc

This is recycling and we love these sites. Lots of people make a living here. Cheap new stuff might not be green though, as it is usually sourced from sweatshops somewhere.

Change career

Have a new career in the green industries - that is what I did. After doing my Masters in computer interface design, I decided to work on eco buildings with my wife who is an Architect. This is 'greening' ones whole life, rather than just doing a bit on the side. I used to work in computing in London, and commuted daily from a suburb, ate restaurant food, drank after work - the whole fun-filled urban working life that uses up a huge amount of energy. And this is before you add up the energy used in the office itself!

So just by greening your job, you are doing a huge amount of positive good. You will also need less money as you are not commuting, stuffing your face, boozing, etc. every day.

Commute less - work from home

An easy way to green your job is to try to work from home, at least some of the time. Most offices can do this, and if you have a task such as writing a report this can usually be arranged. Bosses like this as they can set a deadline and you will agree, then have to do it - even if you stay up past midnight! You can't usually do that in an office.

Also use less paper and recycle of paper and consumable such as ink cartridges.

This flexibility will also suit your childcare arrangements and social life.

If you want more details on some of these topics, have a look at the Ecotist Green Homes & Building Ebook, which has a lot of free chapters available.