Go Greener Tips

div class=image style=float:right;padding-left:8px;img alt=Namaste Solar Electric height=230 src=http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/daily_green_news/daily_green_news-333449165-1245173276.jpg?ymcoWbBDY28Sn29b width=300/br /emTechnicians from Namaste Solar Electric br /install a new system in Colorado. br /(Photo: Courtesy of Namaste Solar Electric)/embr /br //divpemThe following is a guest post by Ezra Drissman of a href=http://www.GreenCareersGuide.com target=_blankGreenCareersGuide/a/em/ppIt seems that most Americans have been affected by the economic downturn, in one way or another. It can be difficult to find any good things that have come out of such a crazy climate. /ppHowever, a href=http://www.greencareersguide.com/ target=_blankgreen careers/a have emerged as a shining light in a generally bad economy. While other corporations are struggling, green companies are looking forward to a better year. /ppOne need not look further than Ford Motor Company, which had been ridiculed in recent memory by opponents for its stated commitment to hybrid vehicles and developing greener technologies. Yet Ford has survived the downturn better than GM and Chrysler. /ppGreen is not only emerging, it will be sustained for a long time. These next few years will give people an opportunity to join in on the ground floor of a booming industry. It’s an industry that will stretch across all economic lines. /ppHere are the top five industries that are likely to be major players in the green economy, according to a href=http://www.GreenCareersGuide.com target=_blankGreenCareersGuide.com/a:/ppstrong1. Landfill gas plant operator/strongbr /Anything within the renewable energy market is a great green career.
Try this one on for a quick turn around into a green opportunity: a landfill gas plant operator. Turning gas into energy is big right now and this can be a great fit for someone who only has a GED or high school diploma. /ppstrong2. Solar panel installer/strongbr /The solar field is heating up, and offers many opportunities in panel installation and sales. More colleges, technical schools, and extension services are offering programs in the sector. The North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) offers certification programs that will train you in solar installation. If you would like to become a solar salesperson, start by contacting some of the solar panel makers. This field is also prime for the entrepreneur. /ppstrong3. Wind turbine machinist/strongbr /The market for wind energy continues to grow, so much so that a href=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/29/wind-now-employs-more-peo_n_162277.html target=_blankwind power now employs more Americans than the coal industry/a. A bonus is that if you already have a degree or background as a machinist or engineer you may be able to turn that into a job as a wind turbine machinist or wind turbine installer. /ppstrong4. Green engineer/strongbr /There are likely to be many opportunities to help design a cleaner, greener society, from waste treatment and recycling facilities to transportation systems. Soon America will also be transitioning to a a href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/living-green/blogs/cars-transportation/smart-grids-china-460409smart grid/a, requiring much work for engineers. (Unemployed car engineers in particular should stay alert for these fields). If you want to start in these areas, make sure to get an engineering background in college. /ppstrong5. Green builder/strongbr /The federal and local governments continue to require more certification and higher energy efficiency on all buildings. Green building, with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, will likely become a standard in construction. /ppThere will be many careers available within these industries. Take the time to get the training and schooling that will be needed. /ppSee job listings for these fields and apply now:/pullia href=http://www.greencareersguide.com/Wind-Power.html target=_blankWind jobs/a/lilia href=http://www.greencareersguide.com/Solar-Power.html target=_blankSolar jobs/a/lilia href=http://www.greencareersguide.com/Green-Careers.html target=_blankGreen jobs center/a/li/ulbr /br /pemThe Daily Green’s Community News section is a forum for our audience to get the word out about issues that matter to them, enlist support, get help and advice, celebrate successes, or share humor. The best submissions are personal (why I started this venture) short and to the point (400 words or so) and written in a style that speaks directly to the audience as peers (not like an ad or press release). Email submissions to a href=mailto:news@thedailygreen.comnews@thedailygreen.com/a and include community news in the subject line. Photos are also welcome, provided the submitter has rights to publish the image. Be sure to include credit and caption information./em/ppemSubmissions to The Daily Green are subject to our a href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/privacy target=_newPrivacy and Terms of Use policies/a./em/pp /ppstrongMore from The Daily Green/strong/pullia href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/10-greenest-colleges-460708?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdg10 of the Greenest Colleges in America/a/lilia href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/save-money-megaflip?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdg30+ Ways to Save Money by Going Green/a/lilia href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/safe-green-investments-47091801?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdgSix Smart Green Investments/a/lilia href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/living-green/win/?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdgWin Free Green Stuff!/a/lilia href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/personality-quiz-going-green-460109?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdgWhat’s Your Green Personality?/a/li/ulpemReprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc /em/p

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