Careers in Wind Farm Development: GIS Specialist
Posted by Sarah Lozanova November 19th, 2009 
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This is the second article in a seven part series on careers in wind farm development. The first part can be viewed here.
The creation of a wind farm requires a wealth of geographic information for effective planning. A Geographic Information Systems (GIS) specialist provides much of this material through maps of site characteristics, such as land parcels boundaries, transmission lines, infrastructure, environmentally sensitive areas, land cover, wind resources, turbine micrositing, and topography. These maps are used in every step of planning from energy analysis through construction.
The information provided by a GIS specialist is the foundation for determining the wind resource. “We receive digital elevation maps from our GIS department,” says Diane Reinebach, Senior Energy Specialist for RMT, Inc. “That is loaded into the software, which knows the wind direction. It can then predict how the terrain impacts the wind over the site, and whether there are speed-ups, slow-downs, or turns in the wind.”
Secrets of Successful Social Intrapreneurs: Advice From Three Major Brands
Posted by Cindy Mehallow November 16th, 2009 1 Comment
Sustainability careers are in high demand, judging from the record-breaking attendance at the 2009 Net Impact Conference this past weekend (2,400 participants, 60% of which were MBA students). Problem is, there just aren’t that many full-time positions with “sustainability” or “corporate social responsibility” in the title. But, it is possible to create a full-time sustainability position where none exists, report three successful social intrapraneurs.
Do what you love. A self-described “soft-techy guy,” Accenture’s Mike Nicholus had a reputation of being able to deliver results in a global setting. He was also known as a tree-hugging guy who spouted phrases like “peak oil” and kept preying mantises around his home. After filling a variety of roles at Accenture and working closely with the CEO, Nicholus was tapped when the company decided to implement a work-at-home initiative.
Like most sustainability efforts, it paid off in several ways – substantial cost-savings for the firm, a reduced carbon footprint and workplace flexibility that employees crave. Now as director, global environment programs, Nicholus promotes programs to measure and manage Accenture’s environmental impact across operations in 49 countries. His strategy for selling “green” initiatives: “You need the ability to identify your key ‘buyers’ and make a sound business case for your proposal.”
Nicholus’ advice: Figure out how to do your day job in four days and spend the fifth day doing what you love. Then flavor the other four days with that.
Greenhouse Gas Accountants to the Rescue!
Posted by BC Upham November 12th, 2009 0 Comments
Lost in all the talk about whether or when nations and industries will have emissions targets, is the question of who, exactly, is going to measure those targets.
Without a pool of trained and certified professional GHG managers, climate change initiatives — from the United Nations Framework down to the sustainability plan for the shop around the corner — could stall.
Worse, a lack of accountability could turn the “greenhouse gas expert” into the snake oil salesman of the 21st century, peddling a dubious product whose ingredients change from one bottle to the next.
Enter the Greenhouse Gas Management Institute. The Institute provides professional training in greenhouse gas accounting and verification, primarily online, and its ultimate goal is to create a professional society for greenhouse gas accountants and verifiers, similar to the way other fields — architecture, law, medicine, accounting — have national or international certification bodies.
The Institute was launched in 2007 as a non-profit by Michael Gillenwater and Tom Baumann, two recognized experts in emissions measurement, who realized that there was an emerging need for standardization in their field.
Clean Careers: Clean Tech Job Trends 2009
Posted by Frank Marquardt October 19th, 2009 0 Comments
Finding a clean tech job just got a little easier.
CleanEdge’s excellent new report, Clean Tech Job Trends 2009, which is a sort of companion to its annual Clean Energy Trends report, offers those looking for a clean tech job—as well as those curious about the sector—an excellent introduction to the trends and opportunities ahead, as well as key resources for getting one’s search in motion.
Written by Ron Pernick and Clint Wilder, authors of The Clean Tech Revolution, the report details an increasingly well-funded area of industrial activity that’s growing at above average rates. And with clean-tech job growth a focus of the Obama Administration as well as that of Chinese President Hu Jintao—and aggressive clean-tech job creation going on in the Brazil, the European Union, India, and Japan—this growth is certain to continue.
Boots on the Roof Offers Green Job Training
Posted by Scott Cooney September 15th, 2009 0 Comments
The interest in creating green jobs at the state and federal level has not diminished, nor has the interest by job-seekers in finding a green job. California recently announced $75 M in training for green job programs. Community Colleges in Oregon found that green job training was one of the fastest growing and most requested offerings their industry was seeing, despite the gloomy economic outlook.
The need for green job training is clear. Wind and solar provide limitless free energy. When compared to the costs of producing electricity by burning coal, there are higher up-front costs of setting up renewable energy like wind, solar, and geothermal. But the ongoing cost is considerably less, as the “fuel” is plentiful and free. Workers also benefit with jobs that are harder to export than manufacturing and other sectors.
A number of organizations are setting up green job training in their communities. Boots on the Roof is an organization founded by two groups of people: experienced green businesspeople and professional educators. This convergence is one of Boots’ strengths, as students receive training from qualified industry professionals at the same time as professional educators that can help enhance the learning experience.
Clean Tech Training for All
Posted by Frank Marquardt September 8th, 2009 1 Comment
Just five years ago, there were a mere handful of educational and training programs available for those interested in clean tech, primarily in advanced-degree university programs. Today, there are hundreds, if not thousands, with new ones popping up every day as a result of stimulus funds flowing to colleges and universities to fund green jobs training.
These programs are targeted to candidates at every level of experience, from those with a GED to engineering and chemistry graduates looking to develop next generation solar technologies. And while a clean tech training program won’t guarantee you a job in the industry, it will help you stand out—and deliver marketable skills as stimulus money gets spent.
Looking For a Green Job? Grab Your Rain Boots
Posted by Mary Catherine O'Connor September 4th, 2009 3 Comments
It’s been 200 days since President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and the Environmental Protection Agency says it has allocated 92 percent of the $7.22 billion Recovery Act dollars it is charge of allocating. And much of that money will be used for projects to improve water quality, wastewater infrastructure and drinking water infrastructure.
Specifically, $4 billion is going for assistance to help communities with water quality and wastewater infrastructure needs and $2 billion for drinking water infrastructure needs. A portion of the funding will be targeted toward green infrastructure, water and energy efficiency, and environmentally innovative projects.
On Thursday, EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson ticked off a short lift of water-related projects that promise to create jobs, including a harbor cleanup in New Bedford, Mass. (270 jobs) and a Superfund cleanup project (more than 200 jobs) in at the Iron Mountain Mine in Redding, Calif., which used to discharge one ton of toxic materials into the Sacramento River every day. Once completed, the local hydroelectric power plant will use the restored waters to produce energy.
President Obama is requesting $475 million in next year’s budget for cleaning up the Great Lakes—and this would be just a small part of the funding if he makes good on his campaign promise of devoting $5 billion for Great Lakes restoration.
Building Sustainability Into Your Operations: The Importance of Governance
Posted by FairRidge Group September 4th, 2009 0 Comments
Driving sustainability into the operations of a company is an oft-stated goal for sustainability departments. How many times have you heard (or said!): “My vision is that one day our department will go away…and sustainability will be just part of everyday business, and the sustainability department will be out of a job.” But how do we actually make that happen? How do we ramp up a sustainability program from a departmental focus to an organization-wide set of capabilities? And how do we move from many disparate efforts to a cohesive set of coordinated initiatives? The answer is an effective sustainability governance solution.
So what to do?
To solve these challenges, a “governance” solution is required that addresses both the diffusion of sustainability into the organization (from the sustainability department into general operations) and sustainability collaboration across the organization (to establish synergies such as the sharing of best practices, resources, tools, etc.).
Is Business Education Changing Given the 2008 Financial Crisis?
Posted by Net Impact September 1st, 2009 0 Comments
The financial crisis that started in 2007, peaked in 2008 and continues to persist into 2009 sparked an international debate on how business education created (and possibly could have prevented) this whole ordeal. Business school curriculum drew scrutiny, admissions standards were criticized, and students signed ethics pledges – all in the hope of clearing the name of the now maligned MBA.
But is the current PR blitz just an exercise in crisis reputation management or will it actually change how business school educates future leaders? While the conversation may continue for years to come, We’ve been exploring the student perspective on how graduate business programs are addressing sustainable and ethical leadership today.
This year, in our annual Business as UNusual guide, Net Impact members and students at schools throughout the world shared their perspectives on how well (or how poorly) their business program tackles issues around social and environmental responsibility. More than 85 schools submitted profiles for this year’s guide, providing sustainability details on each program’s admissions process, core curriculum, student activities, notable graduates and career services. This year we noticed a lot of continuing positive trends.
The Business School Search for Identity
Posted by 3p Guest Author August 31st, 2009 1 Comment
By Matthew Madden
One predictable result of the past decade’s crop of corporate scandals, peaked by the current financial crisis, is renewed criticism of one of society’s most influential institutions – the elite graduate business programs. In response a number of schools, often via student-organized efforts, have taken actions designed to, depending on your level of cynicism, either address these ethical concerns or protect their investment in such costly degrees. In 2004, the Thunderbird School of Global Management became the first graduate business program to incorporate an oath to integrate sustainable values into their program. During the 2007 graduation season, Columbia’s graduate school of business introduced an honor code, pledging integrity during their tenure as students and beyond. Typically, Harvard Business School garnered the most press coverage as a result of their recent, student-initiated oath to maintain ethical business practices. Given the status of HBS as the world’s most influential business school – and the disdain associated with that honor given the current age of corruption and uncertainty – it’s fitting that their oath garnering the most significant reaction, both praise and skepticism.
Van Jones in Newsweek and on Glenn Beck
Posted by Frank Marquardt August 31st, 2009 19 Comments
Even Van Jones recognizes there’s no unified definition of a green job.
And as a senior advisor to the White House Council on Environmental Quality and founder and former executive director at Green for All, a national organization working to build an inclusive economy, Jones is about as definitive a source as you can find.
That’s why those tracking new developments in green jobs should check out Daniel Stone’s interview with Jones in this week’s Newsweek. Despite the lack of a consensus definition of what constitutes a green job, $60 billion of the recovery package going to fund them.
Pew Charitable Trust Sees Growth in Green Jobs
Posted by Wes Muir August 10th, 2009 0 Comments
By Wes Muir, Director, Communications, Waste Management
When it comes to U.S. employment, these are unprecedented times for today’s working generation. With the economy in its current state of slump, finding jobs has become an ever-challenging endeavor. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the unemployment rate across the nation just reached a staggering 9.4 percent in July 2009, making the job environment the bleakest since 1983.
But amid all of the downturn, there is one sector that continues to witness job growth: clean energy.
The global environment industry has been described by the Environmental Business Journal as growing steadily since 1970 when it was valued at approximately US$40 billion per year. The U.S. is considered the world’s largest market for environmental technologies, estimated at about US$300 billion per year. Recent growth projections in the U.S. markets has been greater then 5% annually, outpacing overall economic growth.
Consumers’ Desire for Green Products Still Strong – Despite Rotten Economy
Posted by Mary Catherine O'Connor July 22nd, 2009 1 Comment
Developing brand and communications strategies to promote green products is top of mind for most consumer goods manufacturers and retailers, so they should be encouraged by the overall findings of the 2009 Green Brands survey that, despite the poor global economy, consumers still want green products.
Summer Project: Funding a Solar Project at a School
Posted by Matthew Holtry July 7th, 2009 1 Comment
Nationwide, K-12 schools spend over $6 billion per year on energy – that’s more than textbooks and computers combined. While government-sponsored solar incentives hope to reduce that bill (and provide a fun educational opportunity for students), not all incentives are created equally.
When I asked Richard Raeke, Director of Project Finance at Borrego Solar Systems, to share his secret solar financing formula, he admitted his work is not easy: “I have a 17-page financial model to analyze the viability of any solar project.” He quipped he could work full-time just following all of the government incentive programs.
How can an average school district possibly keep up with changing trends? We offer a glimpse at incentive programs in two states and a few resources to get you started…
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