Shades of Green: Protecting the planet will call for millions of jobs — so what the heck are they?

Former WorkingNation Producer and current environmental protection scholar Jay Tipton is on a mission to land a career that will help him contribute to saving the environment. But before he can begin, he must first figure out the answer to the question: What is a green job?

Jay interviews experts within the field to hone in on a concise definition, but the answer isn’t as clear as one might assume. With a growing number of job opportunities opening up in this sector, Jay explores the various definitions that analysts and the Bureau of Labor Statistics might use to classify and quantify what jobs are considered green.

With so many differing opinions on how broad the term ‘green job’ is, how can the American worker determine whether a job opportunity falls under the green umbrella? And how can job seekers take their passion for saving the environment and turn it into a meaning career? In order to help them navigate the world of green jobs, Jay talks to experts in the recruiting and hiring field to discuss how the inclusion of green skills in the labor force can make any job greener — even those that don’t directly serve to reduce our carbon footprint.

Finally, Jay zooms out to assess how climate change is reported on in the news, and how media coverage prefers to focus on the scale and impact of severe weather and natural disasters brought on by global warming as opposed to how climate resilient initiatives can create a wealth of opportunities for the American workforce. With so much attention placed on environmental devastation, it leaves little room for discussion about what sectors and industries could help achieve carbon-neutrality by stepping up their sustainability practices — and how, in turn, those solutions will lead to massive job creation.

CREDITS:
Featuring: Jay Tipton, Aniket Shah, Matt Sigelman, Paula DiPerna, Karin Kimbrough, Trish Kenlon, Yessenia Funes
Produced by: Alicia Clark
Executive Produced by: Melissa Panzer, Joan Lynch, Art Bilger
Written by: Jay Tipton, Alicia Clark, Mike Zunic
Edited and sound mixed by: Lynz Floren
Music by: Avocado Junkie
Made possible by: the Walton Family Foundation