We're currently engaged in research to help define what a Green Collar Worker is.
A Green Collar Worker?
Below is a compilation of definitions with questions to help trigger additional thought, questions and increase the perception quality.
The current definition at Wikipedia reads,
"A green-collar worker is a worker who is employed in the environmental sectors of the economy, or in the agricultural sector."
Should green collar only cover environmental or agricultural sectors? Can a green collar worker be involved with the science of developing technologies that help produce more efficient energy or power systems? Is a mechanic working on a windmill also a green collar worker? Maybe according to this definition they are in the environment? Could we develop something more inclusive which provides an indication of intent? The short radio program, "the Environminute" stated,
"Green collar jobs are blue collar jobs that help protect the planet."
But what if you are merely "conserving or preserving" that planet? Is that also protecting? What if you are just doing a job that produces little or no waste? Does this definition add confusion by defining something with an ambiguous term like "blue collar." Will additional research reveal similar problems back in the days of the industrial revolution when folks were trying to define blue-collar worker? Separately, Wikipedia, defines a Blue Collar worker as,
"a member of the working class who performs manual labor and earns an hourly wage."
Is this also too exclusive? Do green collar workers need to be paid hourly? Do green collar workers need to do manual labor to be considered as such?
RAQUEL PINDERHUGHES, Ph. D. definition in her Green Collar Jobs case study for the city of Berkeley, California states in part,
"Green collar jobs are blue collar jobs in green businesses – that is, manual labor jobs in businesses whose products and services directly improve environmental quality (Pinderhughes, 2006)."
Does this exclude folks that work behind a desk on a computer? What about folks building websites which support green efforts? Could we include folks that invest in "Environmentally-Friendly Portfolios," as Green Collar Workers. What about salaried, County workers that are researching and implementing sustainability plans? Could politicians that sign and act in accordance with green sustainability pledge during their term in office be considered green collar workers? The UNEP, ILO, ITUC GREEN JOBS INITIATIVE and GreenforAll orgnization shoots a bit higher in their definition,
"Green-collar jobs, as we define them, are wellpaid, career track jobs that contribute directly to preserving or enhancing environmental quality. Like traditional blue-collar jobs, green-collar jobs range from low-skill, entry-level positions to high-skill, higher-paid jobs, and include opportunities for advancement in both skills and wages."
Is the "opportunity for advancement" inclusion important? Does "career track" exclude stay-at-home Moms participating within the ecosystem of the family, the local community?
Should the following two questions be considered when defining the term, "Green Collar Worker" in Hawaii?
Should the definition of a green collar worker be different depending on location? For example, where you live has great impact on the way you work and what you do for work. A green collar worker specializing in water systems might be involved in diverse occupations such as harvesting, treatment, delivery, research and education. We may find differences in impact, skills and success metrics among green workers in sandy deserts vs. the rain forests of Mountain View.
2. Is the context in which you live or work in important to how you personally define a green collar worker? A so-called, "Green Collar" means one thing to a researcher studing photo-voltaics and something potentially different to a farmer using sustainable growing techniques. An educator teaching green design may define a green collar workers differently than a hydropower technician at the local power company. Similar differences in definition might exist between a LEEDS certified building contractor and a web professional using a green data center and energy efficient-coding standards to build online websites. Is the term, "green collar worker" a living or still evolving term? Is the definition actually changing as our understanding of a greener, more sustainable planet evolves? A somewhat innate understanding seems to exist. A solid understanding may eventually lead to NAICS job codes but for now local definitions need to exist to facilitate communication.
"Green Collar Jobs" is yet another term that needs to be better understood. A list of so-called green occupations is being listed in this post. Please feel free to contribute your job title.
At Green Collar Technologies we're working to learn how location and context might affect our ability to facilitate a greener economy. One such effort is our research into the Green Jobs Act and how Hawai`i might utlize funds appropriated by the Act will be provided as the discussion continues. We're hoping for your participate in the discussion. We've setup a green jobs forum to help us understand your ideas, thoughts and suggestions to help us move beyond definition and into providing pathways to green jobs.
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