Archive for May, 2009

North leads the way in green job creation

May 29, 2009 at 5:48 pm · Filed under green jobs ·Tagged , , , , ,

The talk of green jobs by politicians and industry commentators is enough to convince anyone that an environmental revolution is taking place in the UK, but so far, very little evidence of action has emerged.

There is, however, an interesting trend in green job initiatives. A great deal of activity is happening in the North when it comes to green job creation, whilst down south, attitudes to environmentalism seem to rarely extend beyond composting organic, free-range egg boxes for the begonias and only driving the four-by-four when absolutely necessary.

It is hardly news that some of the most exciting and vigorous trade, retail and policy-making is happening in the north. Though many southerners regularly adhere to the outdated notion that “it’s grim up north”, the actual picture is very different.

That applies to green schemes too. Whilst Oldham recently became a leader in green jobs, investment and technology, in Durham, the County Council’s planning committee has just approved a £1 billion green business park.

The 76-acre Durham Green Business Park is likely to create 5,000 jobs in the region, and will positioned ideally in the middle of the country’s major road and rail networks.

The park is a project of millionaire property developer David Abrahams. OK; Abrahams was last in the news for making dodgy donations to the Labour Party, but at least now he’s doing something useful.

He said: “I want Durham Green to be a model of sustainable development and sustainable jobs in the 21st Century.

“I have already pledged that any profits I make from the development will go to charity.

“This is corporate and social responsibility in practice.”

There now, the sneaky millionaire is making good, and the north seems to be overtaking the snobby south in its environmental efforts. Similar investment countrywide would be a great next step.

Author
Rachel Charman, a writer for JuicyJobs; Ethical Jobs UK – an environmentally friendly green job search board which offers free job listings to Environmental, NGO’s, NFP’s and ethical companies promoting green, fair trade services and support sustainable living.  For job seekers Juicyjobs can help you find the ideal ethical jobs in London.

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Green Party claims it will create a million environmental jobs

May 29, 2009 at 5:40 pm · Filed under green jobs ·Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Election fever hasn’t quite hit the UK yet, as the general public is still reeling from how much MPs have spent on duck islands, moats, pornographic DVDs and so on. The political parties, however, are already rallying around in preparation for the General Election that must come soon, as well as campaigning for the European Elections on 4th June.

So, it comes as no surprise that parties are making all sorts of promises about green job creation. As mentioned in a recent JuicyJobs post, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has been doing his bit to raise the environmental profile of the “I would vote for them in an ideal world” party. The Lib Dems, however, could never be greener than, um, the Green Party, for obvious reasons.

Yesterday the Green Party launched its new manifesto, detailing its “New Green Deal”, which most importantly claims that if in power, the party would create a million green jobs.

How would it go about that? Well, the manifesto, charmingly entitled It’s the Economy, Stupid, claims that the Green Party will completely change the way in which Britain’s economic system works, focusing on improving public services, tackling climate change and dealing with the recession, all of which would be achieved through a massive increase in taxation on the public.

A spokesperson for the Greens said:

“A low-carbon economy will bring social benefits like stability, energy security, sustainable jobs, better health, hugely improved public transport and so on.

“Fixing all these things means changing how the economy works.”

It wouldn’t be high tax, low carbon forever, the Greens are quick to assert – after a while, policies would begin to pay for themselves and so the high taxation would decrease in time.

The Green Party’s ideas are hardly new; the credit crunch has proved that investing in oil and debt whilst allowing people to borrow money to plough into unsustainable things simply drains the economy, which will eventually collapse. A party that truly would bring in these measures would be a godsend for anyone looking for a green job. The snag is, however, that it would require asking British people to pay more tax, much more, and that is something that has never gone down well in the past. Can it ever happen? Only the electorate can decide!

Author
Rachel Charman, a writer for JuicyJobs; Ethical Jobs UK – an environmentally friendly green job search board which offers free job listings to Environmental, NGO’s, NFP’s and ethical companies promoting green, fair trade services and support sustainable living.  For job seekers Juicyjobs can help you find the ideal ethical jobs in London.

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Fuel company could create green jobs boost in Norwich

May 29, 2009 at 5:33 pm · Filed under green jobs ·Tagged , , , , , ,

Ah, Norwich. It’s not an area known particularly for its innovation and technological advances, but, as we often discover on JuicyJobs, it is the unlikely places that you find real advances in green technology.

Achor International, based at Colney Hall in Norwich, is a company that creates clean, sustainable fuel from household waste. What better way to reduce carbon consumption than to use the very things we constantly throw away for clean fuel?

Many people across the globe think that this is a good idea too, which is why Achor is considering truly enormous expansion plans. The business is currently in negotiations to build new plants for their innovative fuel production in Africa, Asia, Europe and the US.

Now, not only does that mean that there will be hundreds of green jobs created in each of these countries, but it also means that there could be up to 30 green jobs created in Norwich itself, as staff numbers at the head office will need to be increased.

This is an example of who the winners will be when the UK comes out of recession. Whilst MPs face a mass boot-out and bankers cling to their jobs, green entrepreneurs will weather out the storm. In fact, the storm – advancing climate change and deepening financial chaos – is just the kind of climate a green entrepreneur needs to sell in successfully.

Achor International is a case in point. The company’s current yearly turnover is around £200,000, which is a healthy amount for any company of its size given the recent troubles. What is amazing is that this green company is in a position to expand, and once it does, is predicted to bring in a turnover of a whopping £300 million over the coming years. It also means that those green jobs created by the company will be far more secure than your regular job by that point. If that’s not a great example of why sustainable business is a good thing, I don’t know what is.

Author
Rachel Charman, a writer for JuicyJobs; Ethical Jobs UK – an environmentally friendly green job search board which offers free job listings to Environmental, NGO’s, NFP’s and ethical companies promoting green, fair trade services and support sustainable living.  For job seekers Juicyjobs can help you find the ideal ethical jobs in London.

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The green job showcasing begins; General Election anyone?

May 29, 2009 at 5:27 pm · Filed under green jobs ·Tagged , , , , , , , ,

The MP expenses scandal can go down in one of two ways in the history and politics textbooks in years to come. It will either be the last twist of the knife in the ribs of the dying New Labour beast, or the clean-up operation that saves Labour for another fiver years in government.

Either way, the vultures are naturally circling, and green jobs and environmental investment are a ticket that every party is riding, breathless in anticipation of an election.

Just in case there is an election – and David Cameron has been calling for one for around three years now – party leaders are making a great show of support for green job schemes and investment in environmental business and technology.

Last week, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg tagged himself to an innovative green investment scheme in Bristol. Clegg, by the way, must be thoroughly enjoying the expenses scandal; since the Telegraph broke the story (and continued to smash it every day since), ordinary people have actually recognised him on the news.

The scheme is called the Green Bonds scheme, and is run by Bristol City Council. It allows people to invest in sustainable businesses by buying “Green Bonds” in organisations developing environmental technology.

Clegg, grinning from ear to ear, launched the project at Bristol University’s SETsquared Business Acceleration Centre. He said:

“Green Bonds will allow people in Bristol to invest in new green technologies.

“By supporting small businesses, Green Bonds will create new jobs and help create an infrastructure for a long-term, green economic recovery.”

So there you have it; a quiet nudge from Clegg to associate the Liberal Democrats not only with community engagement, but also investment, green jobs and environmental responsibility. Who knows? If the third party do get in at the next General Election, they may even provide the green jobs we all hope will shove us out of the recession.

Author
Rachel Charman, a writer for JuicyJobs; Ethical Jobs UK – an environmentally friendly green job search board which offers free job listings to Environmental, NGO’s, NFP’s and ethical companies promoting green, fair trade services and support sustainable living.  For job seekers Juicyjobs can help you find the ideal ethical jobs in London.

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Vinspired projects kick off this summer with hundreds of volunteering opportunities

May 22, 2009 at 12:21 pm · Filed under volunteering ·Tagged , , , , , ,

We all know that volunteering jobs are great things. If you’re in college or university and are looking for a way to boost your CV, or just looking for something worthwhile to do in your spare time, volunteering can be the answer. What happens, however, if there’s something out there that needs to be done, and yet no volunteering position exists to tackle it?

Well, Vinspired have thought of that, and for that reason, created Vcashpoint, a system that grants people aged between 16 and 25 with the funding to run their own volunteering project.

Every year, Vinspired’s scheme Vcashpoint opens another round of funding. The organisation has £1 million to give away to young people who want to do something to empower their community. That community can be any; their local community, their religious community, their college, or any other gathering of people you care to think of. Grants range between £1,000 and £2,500, and are given on completion of a successful written bid. The project can literally take any form – the more innovative the better – as long as it benefits a specific community and involves young people volunteering.

This summer the projects begin, as young people take charge of issues around them. It’s amazing what people come up with if you give them the chance. Some are organising a centre for therapeutic treatment through caring for and riding horses. Some are creating awareness around male eating disorders, and some are setting up anti-knife crime committees in their local communities.

One project demonstrates particular innovation. The QueerPod Tour is a project set up by a young freelance journalist, funded by Vinspired and working in partnership with FYI Radio, a station that produces podcasts on alternative culture for and by young lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

The QueerPod Tour is comprised of a series of workshops with LGBT youth groups around the country this summer. The object is to teach the young people in each youth group to create podcasts, helping them to develop both their media skills and to define and use a voice within public dialogues. So far, youth groups in Hull, Leeds, Coventry, Wolverhampton and Exeter are participating in the tour, the material from which will be added to FYI Radio’s online LGBT resource.

If you are looking for volunteering work, check out the listings on JuicyJobs or alternatively, start thinking about your volunteering project for next year and apply to Vinspired; you never know, it could take off!

Author
Rachel Charman, a writer for JuicyJobs; Ethical Jobs UK – an environmentally friendly green job search board which offers free job listings to Environmental, NGO’s, NFP’s and ethical companies promoting green, fair trade services and support sustainable living.  For job seekers Juicyjobs can help you find the ideal ethical jobs in London.

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