In the midst of all the doom and gloom about employment forecasts, Clark recently told you about certain opportunities in the job market. But there’s an underground opportunity just around the corner that could go mainstream in the next few years. You’ve heard of white collar and blue collar jobs, right? Well, how about green collar?!
There could be potentially millions of jobs coming in the environmental sector. Clark thinks back to the UC Davis professor he had on the air who worked for 20 years to develop plug-in hybrids. These kinds of cars start out electric and then switch to gas when they run out of juice. After years of pooh-poohing plug-ins, GM is now advertising a plug-in called the Volt coming in 2010. Likewise, Toyota spent years being hostile to the idea of modifying the Prius to be a plug-in hybrid. Now they’re going to launch that version in 2010 for fleet sales before entering the general market with it.
Here’s another example of a green business: Our old electronic waste is often shipped to Third World countries where kids disassemble computer monitors and get exposed to dangerous chemicals. Clark recently read a Forbes story about an independently wealthy man who thought there had to be a better way. So he launched a business called ERI (Electronic Recyclers International) in Fresno, CA. ERI employs ex-convicts who follow safety standards in taking equipment apart and recycling it. It’s been a real money-making venture. And it also benefits ex-cons by providing employment and opportunity for those who haven’t had much in their lives.
Look around each corner and you’ll see green opportunities going forward. Clark thinks retro-fitting houses to make them energy efficient will employ those laid off in construction. Bringing home green by working green will soon be more of a reality.