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Earthwatch January 2008
EARTH TALK:
From the Editors of E/The Environmental Magazine
Dear EarthTalk: I’m looking for a job and would like to find a position at a company that is either marketing a green product or service or that is seriously trying to improve its ecological “footprint.” Where do I look?—Beth, via e-mail
With just about every company trying to green its products, services and internal operations these days, there has never been a better time to find a green job. Jobs in eco-advocacy and in “hands on” environmental work such as pollution cleanup and land use planning are more abundant than ever—and green issues are driving the creation of new jobs in many other vocations as well.
The November/December 2007 issue of E—The Environmental Magazine reports that some of the hottest sectors for new green jobs right now are: travel and hospitality, planning and land use, alternative health and medicine, renewable energy, environmental law, information technology, environmental education, design and construction, corporate responsibility, and food and farming. Analysts point to the alternative and renewable energy sector as offering perhaps the most opportunities. “Solar and wind are already multi-billion dollar industries,” says Peter Beadle, who launched the website greenjobs.com in 2005. “Hydrogen and fuel cell technologies also offer many opportunities,” he says. Technical personnel—engineers, installers, etc.—form the backbone of such industries, but marketing, sales and communications specialists are needed to get the technologies to market.
Congress also wants to make sure there are green jobs for disadvantaged and disenfranchised Americans. In August 2007, the House of Representatives passed the Green Jobs Act as a vehicle to use the green economy as a “pathway out of poverty.” The bill calls for spending $125 million for job training in renewable energy, energy-efficient vehicles and green building. The Senate passed a similar bill earmarking $100 million for “green collar” job training in various sectors of the economy. Both bills have been rolled into the larger Energy Bill recently passed by the House and are now under consideration by the Senate.
Regardless of what comes out of Washington, green job seekers should have no trouble ferreting out good opportunities on their own. Checking in with the websites and human resources departments of companies you already know and patronize is a good strategy.
CONTACTS: There are dozens of websites that post green job opportunities,
including ecojobs.com, EcoEmploy.com, environmentalcareer.com,
environmentaljobs.com, greenenergyjobs.com, greenbiz.com, sustainableindustries.com
and sustainablebusiness.com.
Dear EarthTalk: I’m in the market for new furniture. What should I look for in natural furniture and where do I find it?—Debbie Fine, Philadelphia, PA
Along with replacing your incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescents and driving your car less, upgrading to greener furniture is one of the healthiest things you can do for your family and the planet. Most furniture is made with wood from the tropics, so the chair you are now sitting in may have played a role in rainforest deforestation, loss of wildlife habitat, even global warming. Also, furniture is often full of chemicals that release unhealthy fumes into your home.
So what’s a green-minded couch potato to do? Looking for furniture made of wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a good place to start. Founded in 1992, FSC establishes standards for sustainable forestry around the world, and certifies timber operations that follow its guidelines. A growing number of furniture makers are availing themselves of FSC-certified wood in order to meet increasing demand for greener products. Local furniture stores usually stock some FSC-certified products and many manufacturers now showcase and sell FSC products online.
Beyond wood, bamboo furniture is strong and resilient and usually harvested from sustainable sources. Stainless steel, most of which is recycled, is also a good eco-friendly furniture framing choice. Many cutting edge furniture designers are making use of reclaimed timber and other recycled materials in their products, breathing new life into old wood and sparing live trees in the process.
The other major issue with traditional furniture is the pollution from all the noxious synthetic chemicals used to produce it. One leading culprit is formaldehyde, a known carcinogen found in furniture made from pressed wood and particle board and in many of the glues and resins used to bind furniture frames, padding, and upholstery together. Luckily, a large number of non-toxic alternatives are now available to manufacturers. Water-based glues, for example, do not contain formaldehyde or synthetic chemicals. Also, designs such as tongue and groove joinery eliminate the need for adhesives altogether. And a handful of natural materials, such as wool batting, can work well as flame-retardants while providing ample padding.
CONTACTS: Forest Stewardship Council, www.fsc.org; Vivavi, vivavi.com; The Joinery, thejoinery.com; Woodshanti, woodshanti.com; Furnature, furnature.com; Pacific Rim Woodworking, pacificrimwoodworking.com; Berkeley Mills, berkeleymills.com; Steckley Woodcrafts, steckley.com; Urban Hardwoods, urbanhardwoods.com.
GOT AN ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTION? Send it to: EarthTalk, c/o E/The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; submit it at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/thisweek/, or e-mail: earthtalk@emagazine.com. Read past columns at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php.