Green Collar Jobs

When the industrial and computer revolutions took place, countries and individuals who recognised the trends and changed direction were way ahead of the game. 

I remember listening to the radio, not even a couple of years ago, when a talk show host consistently heaped scorn on the idea that humans were responsible for changes in the environment. All of a sudden he’s gone silent. That we are responsible has been established beyond a doubt. 

Not too long ago, anyone who talked of going green or of conservation was considered a bit of a fraud. Many people thought they didn’t really have time for all this fad -ish nonsense. That perception is changing and not only because it is pc to be a greennie. Today going green has become a huge job opportunity. 

Cars that don’t belch environment polluting fumes are selling even if they’re slightly more expensive. Soon, there’ll be an increasing number of innovations that make the technology for the manufacture of such cars cheaper and therefore, more people will want to buy them. Within months or years, those cars will be the obvious ones to buy. The ones who invest in this technology now are ahead of the game. The same applies to organically grown food.

In India, bio technology caught on really quickly. Now it is huge. People work in various jobs like natural pesticides, health, vaccines, the veterinary field, teaching biotechnology and more.

Builders and architects are changing the designs of their buildings. All this might seem high tech but it isn’t always. In many cities even steep, sloping walls are used to grow produce. And they call these walls, living walls. In NZ, they’ve started talking of city farming and community farming. The philosophy is that while it’s great to have sweet smelling and attractive looking flowers we, city dwellers should also grow fruit and veggies, especially since NZ is earthquake prone. Community efforts are often supported by grants from the government and are important because they help us diversify and teach us to co-operate.

Who, according to me, is the title holder for the best green collar job since as early as the seventies? It is Anna Hazare, of course. According to this link, http://www.speakingtree.in/spiritual-blogs/masters/self-improvement/the-ideal-village-that-anna-built he changed Ralegan Siddhi from a “poverty ridden, waterless and drought affected village, to a model village with environmental conservation, discipline among villagers, self-sufficiency and cooperation.”

This is what he achieved. He prevented soil erosion by planting trees; harnessed readily available solar power and biogas for energy; after winning the trust of his villagers, he helped them build bunds and trenches to capture rain water for healthy crops and grazing for cattle; started a milk co-operative; started a beautiful school with lunch provided for kids so that, on a full stomach, they would learn better. And Anna, being Anna, did not make a penny out of the entire project.

The undeniable fact is that Anna (and people like the “Flowerman of Rouerkela”) are more the exception. Ordinary people today make heaps in green collar jobs. Those jobs are definitely one of our future trends.


On a completely different note, I've entered a short story competition for Harper Collins, India. We're supposed to submit our story idea and you, my dear readers are supposed to "like" the idea. Here's mine. If you like it, please click on the red heart.