SPECIAL FEATURES:
Email
How do you define the 'green' economy?
MNN blogger presents a framework for the green economy to be unveiled on a new website.
Fri, Jan 09 2009 at 1:06 AM
Related Topics:
Photo: Ella Baker Center for Human Rights
I'm excited to be working on the content strategy for a new website that will be unveiled at the Green Inaugural Ball in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 19. The website will set out a framework which defines the "green economy" and will call for video entries from companies and individuals who are creating new green jobs in America.
The way I defined the categories is based on the 5-part definition that Van Jones presents in his seminal book, The Green Collar Economy — energy, transportation, water, waste, and land management. But I pulled out an additional category from energy called "green building." Under each of these (now 6) categories I tried to keep it to 5 sub-categories. Of course its a starting point and will evolve, but for now it provides a helpful way to organize the many industry sectors that will be creating the largest number of green jobs.
Here are the 6 main sectors of the Green Economy:
Bio-Gas & Fuel Cells
Residential & Commercial AssessmentEnergy Efficiency Retrofits
Water Efficiency Retrofits
Green Products & Materials
LEED Construction
Fuels of the FuturePEV's (personal electronic vehicles)
Water RecyclingGrey & Rainwater Systems
Low-water Landscaping
Stormwater Planning
Salvage - 2nd Hand
Toxics Remediation
Brownfield & Superfund Cleanup
Sustainable Products - Packaging
Habitat Conservation/Restoration
Soil Stabilization
Although I am a great believer that the best and cleanest energy is the energy we DON'T use, I felt it was important to break out the building sector as a separate category, including energy efficiency retrofits, rather than keep it in the 'energy' category. This enables me to list out other job types like home energy efficiency retrofits (weatherization, efficient appliances, solar hot water, etc.) as well as plumbing retrofits and interior redesign using green materials.
There is a 7th category I'm calling "green markets" which would include carbon trading, green banking and financial investment services, etc. More to come...
The opinions expressed by MNN Bloggers and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not reflect the opinions of MNN.com. While we have reviewed their content to make sure it complies with our Terms and Conditions, MNN is not responsible for the accuracy of any of their information.
You might also like:
Sign in with one of these accounts to add your comment.
EDITORS' PICKS
Earn 100 points for signing up for a free iMeet trial now.
Sponsored by
Advertisement
TODAY'S MOST POPULAR ON
- 15 famous people who mysteriously disappeared
- 10 false facts most people think are true
- A day in the life of the human hand
- Stone Age people may have battled against a zombie apocalypse
- The amazing health benefits of turmeric
- 9 habits that may do more harm than good
- Best air-filtering houseplants, according to NASA
- 5 mind-bending facts about dreams
- Why banning candy is a road to nowhere
- 10 of the top U.S. cities for nature lovers
From our sponsor
NEWSLETTER
Advertisement
And what about chemical industry with its importance on the green world, the production of both bulk and fine chemicals. In the above mentioned 6 main sectors I do not see the green chemistry.
I love the idea of a Green New Deal. a set of plans to combat pollution and climate change, mirroring the New Deal, a group of economic plans and organizations established by Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Great Depression.
If I'm going to be 1 trillion dollars in debt, at least I can leave a cleaner country for my children.
I'd spend it almost entirely on green jobs...the last thing in the world I want is more roads built in more areas....I would build parks & sidewalks & clean up rivers & make our environment primed for the future. That's a green new deal i could live with.