Green Political Spotlight This Week: What Exactly is a “Green” Job?

The Definitoin of a Green Job Remains Cloudy Among U.S. Politicians - Image from AGreenerIndiana.com

Quite a bit of talk has been floating around about saving our planet – and our economy – by creating green jobs since U.S. President Barack Obama entered the Oval Office in 2009. Many believe the creation of green jobs is a noteworthy cause, but political disputes recently have arisen as to what a green job really is. Sure, a solar power device installer can be classified as a green job without much opposition, but what about a bicycle shop owner?

That’s the question politicians posed last week during a hearing on how the Obama administration counts green jobs and reports this employment information to the public. One of Obama’s major goals since entering the presidency has been to ramp up the development of eco-friendly jobs and to prove that billions of taxpayer dollars are doing just that. However, now Obama is catching some flack because some politicians believe he’s stretching the “green” truth.

For instance, Obama has classified the following employment positions as green jobs: a bicycle shop clerk; any school bus driver; a hybrid bus driver; and even an oil lobbyist whose job includes tackling environmental issues. Republican Rep. Darrell Issa, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, said Obama’s green job classifications were developed merely for political reasons.

“It’s about politics,” Issa said. ”It’s always been about politics. If you work at the Salvation Army, that’s a green job.”

On the contrary, the number of green jobs developed by Obama is far higher than the three million that the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported thus far, according to Democrat Rep. Elijah Cummings. The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that a green job is any position that involves making a company’s production process more planet-friendly or a job at a company whose aim is to benefit the earth via its services or products.

Obviously, the definition of a green job varies based on who you ask. The question is, how far should Obama and other U.S. government officials go in assigning an official “green job” label to a position for political reporting purposes? Perhaps your own current job could be considered a green one. Tell us what you think.

Also, visit U.S. Green Technology’s green jobs board, powered by SimplyHired, to search for potential green work opportunities nationwide.

By YaShekia King

About U.S. Green Technology

U.S. Green Technology was established in January of 2009. U.S. Green Technology‘s mission is to share news and information about the latest advancements in green technologies and green jobs. U.S. Green Technology‘s areas of coverage include providing information on green social media campaigns, changes in green business, spread of the green movement throughout entertainment, green technological invention, new green start-ups, green manufacturing, green building, and green jobs. U.S. Green Technology recently launched a new free business directory for companies to promote their products and services. U.S. Green Technology also offers a green jobs board, powered by Simply Hired, for employers to post green jobs for job seekers interested in careers in the green jobs industries such as clean energy, renewable fuels, information technology, green building and green transportation.

Sign-up for U.S. Green Technology‘s weekly newsletter to receive the latest green technology information, including the latest green jobs, blogs, news, and events.

Related articles

• Santorum At Odds With Obama on Green Tech(usgreentechnology.com)

  ---