Category: ECO_JOBS_MN

Conversations about climate change have been happening for decades, but recent events, including soaring gas prices and extreme weather, have given these discussions a new urgency. In response, sectors like renewable energy, environmental science and forestry are growing rapidly, creating new jobs and a greater demand for workers to fill these roles.

Washington continues to be in the throes of a knock-down, drag-out fight between Democrats in Congress and the White House over the two pieces of BIG legislation that matter most in terms of national climate policy — infra-structure and the President’s Build Back Better Act, otherwise known as budget reconciliation. With time, it’s become apparent not all the Democrats along Pennsylvania Avenue have the same understanding of how the reconciliation process should work — at least within the same party.

In the beginning of this summer, the US state of Connecticut passed legislation to guarantee prevailing wage and benefits are provided to workers on clean energy projects. The law was a product of labor unions and environmental groups working together to educate workers about the climate crisis and develop solutions, with a focus on creating good-paying, unionized jobs and opportunities to combat economic inequities.

As the U.S. economy recovers from the COVID-induced recession, the emphasis is shifting away from the simplified metric of the number of jobs, toward a focus on high-quality, high-paying jobs. As some service sectors languish with unfilled positions and shorthanded staffing, the energy industry pays premium wages. Energy workers are paid 34% more than the median U.S. wage, according to the 2020 U.S. Energy and Employment wage report.

Young adults born in 1997 onward are graduating from college and entering the workforce as the Earth is experiencing some of its hottest years on record. Studies show members of the cohort known as Generation Z are acutely aware of the disastrous effects of the warming planet, and Gen Z’ers are now pursuing career paths centered on addressing the climate crisis more so than older generations, according to a Monday report from The Guardian.

Hi Sara,
I am 50 years old and looking at a major career change. I have wasted most of my adult life at a soulless job that has provided for me and my family. In that regard, I am grateful and fortunate. However, I have always been passionate about animals and the environment.

Tomorrow, the U.N.’s Panel on Climate Change will release its most comprehensive report to date on global warming. But we don’t need to wait to feel the effects of climate change. Between record-breaking heat, storms and droughts, Americans are already dealing with the immediate and alarming consequences of a warming planet. And that is changing what it means to be a meteorologist. They’ve always been the people we count on to keep us safe.

Wandering around the sprawling 6.2 million-sq.-ft. Lordstown Motors assembly plant in Ohio, it’s tempting to imagine a green future that is full of jobs. The company’s signature product is a high-performing electric pickup truck, and around the facility workers are buzzing about, getting ready to bring it into production.

The bipartisan infrastructure deal struck this week provides new money for climate resilience unmatched in United States history: Tens of billions of dollars to protect against floods, reduce damage from wildfires, develop new sources of drinking water in areas plagued by drought, and even relocate entire communities away from vulnerable places.

Following through on one of President Biden’s key campaign promises to beef up American infrastructure, the U.S. Senate voted last week to move forward with a bipartisan infrastructure bill. While there is still plenty of work to be done, this $1 trillion deal will pump $550 billion into transportation, such as roads, bridges, passenger and freight rail, and public transit. The plan also dovetails with the administration’s strong commitment to combating climate change, promising to “build back better” as we generate not only jobs, but also meaningful environmental benefits.