Posts: 16
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Joined: Sep 2008
quote:
Originally posted by JWFITZ
By no means is this good for the ecology of Hawaii. You will see vast tracts of now reforested land denuded(ah, it's all invasive trees!) to plant sugar. It will, however, be great for the local economy.
Mahalo for the comment. We don't currently organize any training programs in forestry or forestry management. In your opinion, would jobs in forestry be listed as "green jobs"?
I did read the related article in the paper this past weekend.
Related?
Pulptree Plantations Are Not Sustainable Forests:
http://tinyurl.com/5ansfw
Tradewinds' bonds vetoed Lingle's action deals a blow to the project
http://tinyurl.com/58m59w
Posts: 16
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Joined: Sep 2008
quote:
Originally posted by Damon
Brent -
I appreciate you being involved.
Curious about the blog you have running as you have Monsanto Jobs listed on your "Green" blog.
Damon
-------
Glob
Mahalo for the comment Damon. Although the blog is on the same domain/website as the job board the two are not related.
If using a job board on the site is confusing our mission, I'll gladly remove it. There aren't many jobs listed locally anyway.
Posts: 16
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Joined: Sep 2008
quote:
Originally posted by JWFITZ
Sorry, I get very very exasperated at this sort of approach.
Reason 1) If progressives in their "green" activities cannot even keep pace with big finance and its "green" activities--we've got trouble.
Reason 2) If it requires "grant" money to be "sustainable" or
"green," it makes a mockery of the "sustainability" movement.
We need to do better than that. Carving out careers for oneself in the new and booming "green industry"--if that isn't the ultimate oxymoron, is not working for a better future, at least in any way I can see it.
Mahalo for the comments. I didn't really follow Reason 1.
But I can help with #2.
Schools organize as 501c3. As such they may accept grants. Many grants are from private corporations. The largest amounts currently come from private foundations like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Many companies cannot afford to train their own employees. We can help them reduce costs while providing top-notch local instructors. I would love to see for-profit corporations support our efforts. To help make this happen, I'll add a PayPal Donate button to the site today.
I'm not aware of any schools that do not accept grants. As an aside, our students pay their own tuitions. There are no subsidies. However, we did include a "free lunch" in the last Sustainable Living Educational Series.
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quote:
Originally posted by Rob Tucker
Thanks for the info Brent. Don't feel slighted by Jay... he's usually in a better mood than that.
Punaweb moderator
Mahalo Rob, I really appreciate the opportunity to participate in the discussion. I'll be doing more of the same on Saturday the 27 in Hilo. http://greencollartech.com/green-jobs-no...action.htm
Please come share your views with me in person. I'm easy to talk to and some of you might be surprised to learn what Green Collar Technologies is doing to help.
Okay, back to replying the comments...
Posts: 16
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Joined: Sep 2008
quote:
Originally posted by JWFITZ
Actually, it IS a threat-- as I see it Res 731 is greasing the skids for big agri-business to tear up Hawaii for ethanol production, and to do so with the aid of taxpayer money. There is a tremendous pressure to get these businesses started--including one fund I'm aware of offering a 1 million dollar finders fee?!??! for the property. If they're that serious I expect the legislature has had a bit of contact as well.
I think a certain level of robust criticism is warranted, targeting those who seem to be dangerously close to profiteering at the planet's expense while masquerading as a ecologist of sorts. This, to my mind is the worst one could do. There is a growing sales pitch out there that is making a lot of money with "feel good" environmentalism, selling the notion that you can save the planet in a very comfortable manner, with very minimal personal investment. . .and very dangerous this idea is.
Still, I'll make an attempt to keep the critique more civil. I'm prone to more passion than tact.
Not sure if any of this is targeted at me personally but I kinda realized that moving from profit to non-profit would open myself up to criticism. So please understand, I take no offense in the discussion.
I've only spent my own money teaching and organizing classes. It comes from living in the woods off the grid and wanting to share the tools I've learned to use in the process.
You comments are very general in nature. I'm not real sure if you're looking for a response from me or just sharing what you know? In either case, thanks for helping me understand where you're coming from.
Posts: 16
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quote:
Originally posted by Hotzcatz
After the County pays to get these workers trained, who then hires the workers and why should the County pay to figure out how to train workers for private enterprises? I suppose the Federal Government is the one providing most of the funding to train these folks, though, huh? Still, until one knows what sort "energy worker" jobs will be available how can these folks be trained?
Wonder if this has anything to do with that statewide biomass powerplants now allowed on AG land bill they passed on Oahu? Apparently, now folks can build a biomass power plant on AG land without having community input since it is an "allowable" AG use and only needs to get a signature of the Planning Department. Who will automatically sign it since it is an allowable use. I guess folks building bio-mass plants still have to get an air use permit, though, so there is hopefully still a few restrictions on their building practices. Wish they would have specified "non-prime ag lands or something" although I haven't specifically read that bill.
Trying to be green via political means sure seems a hard road to go. There are a lot of folks doing green things on a very grass roots level without any political help at all. Generally it seems by the time the political machine has become involved it is no longer a "for the people" sort of thing but a special interest group driving the changes.
Mahalo for the comment. Good question.
After the County pays to get these workers trained, who then hires the workers and why should the County pay to figure out how to train workers for private enterprises?
First clarification, the County isn't paying, yet. If they do, it will be based on the research we testified for and that imo "should be" conducted. This research would aim to specifically answer your question.
Green Sins have already be ingrained in these discussions on a national level. One company Terrachoice, has done a good job at identifying 6 of them. I would encourage everyone to become familiar with the Six Sins of Greenwashing. We have a link at the top right of our homepage to the site.
terraChoice
Posts: 16
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quote:
Originally posted by james weatherford
Thanks Brent.
I sent email testimony in support of this resolution.
'Green jobs' are part of the reality we all must recognize. The Resolution is one of many steps needed along the way.
While my own family lives on the land -- as I did from childhood and have done in lots of my adult life -- the reality is, many different types of work lay ahead of us and some of that involves activities not directly on the land. For some folks new to living on the land, and frustrated with the challenges of doing so, the bigger picture can be a bit intimidating.
Mahalo for the comment. It seems to become part of your manao once you've reached that point in figuring out how to actually live in harmony with nature. I'm sure you've shared hundreds of tips and tricks that you've learned over the years. Common sense just isn't that common any longer.
I relied mostly on books but also on neighbors and friends to teach me everything I know about living off-the-grid. Some things are undeniable and inalienable.
Posts: 16
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quote:
Originally posted by Bob Orts
Isn't this nothing but the standard federally subsidized job training funding program using a new twist "Green"?
Gee, I should cash in on this by offering training for Bio-Mass/Fuel Maintenance workers (learn to cut grass and be landscapers). Or Bioconversion Energy Technician (learn how to properly flip a compost pile). How about, Bio-Fuel Material Production Technician, (you learn how to cut sugar cane).
Mahalo for the comment. Good question.
According to the Act, funding priority will go to existing schools. I imagine a sort of re-tooling of the classes currently being offered at places like -UHH-CCES, HCC etc.
For example, a course on plumbing might be changed to include some training on rain catchment safety. A course in automotive mechanics might be changed to include lessons on working with battery or fuel cell technologies. One of the goals might be to train folks locally instead of bring folks in that were trained on the mainland. A course in agriculture might include lessons on how to use hydro power or solar power to pump water or power equipments like water pumps etc. Just thoughts. research is needed to determine what's needed by employers,people out of work and people that would like to transition to a new career -when/if they become available.
Posts: 16
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quote:
Originally posted by Rob Tucker
Probably has something to do with the fact that we import 90%+ of our energy too.
Finding our way into an actual sustainable reality will not be a straight line smooth path. There are things to try that will succeed and things to try that will fail. There will be attempts that disappoint and there will be attempts that surprise. Our biggest failure will be if we fail to try.
This topic started with mention of a resolution "…encouraging the administration to research the application process to obtain funding for an energy worker-related training program" for grants. Hard to see the harm in researching application processes. It seems very prudent to understand the opportunities that are out there.
Punaweb moderator
Mahalo for the good points.
True, the resolution was written to learn more about the funding opportunities. Since the Energy Independence and Security Act became law (title ten is the green jobs act) and the two presidential candidates seem to favor a "green" economy, it seems like a good idea to learn more -before proceeding.
That's the intent of County R&D and in my opinion, the right path to take. It's all a learning process and we're all just trying to adapt to inevitable change. Some have adopted the notion of change but not everyone needs to. Not everyone needs to learn to use email or forums and not everyone should learn anything about sustainability. It's a choice.
Our organization will provide the training regardless of any public or private help. We will set tuitions and quality levels as best we can as we have been doing. We will teach the classes people want to pay to learn. I don't care if their called blue-collar workers next year. Heck, we we don't care if you're a no-collar worker, we'll do the teaching and organizing.
With that said, I'm not sure that it's a good idea at this late stage to deny federal funding.
I have what I believe to be compelling reasons for accepting the "already appropriated" funds. I'd love to hear reasons for and against on Saturday the 27th at our Green Jobs event in Hilo. Please see post on our site for details -much mahalo.
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quote:
Originally posted by Brent
Schools organize as 501c3. As such they may accept grants. Many grants are from private corporations. The largest amounts currently come from private foundations like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
The Green Jobs Act of 2007 amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998. This is NOT private corporation money and it is NOT private charitable foundation money, it IS taxpayer's money.
quote:
Many companies cannot afford to train their own employees.
So, this is corporate welfare disguised as “Green” and “Sustainable”.
quote:
research is needed to determine what's needed by employers,people out of work and people that would like to transition to a new career -when/if they become available.
Research is needed to identify what the heck this “green” label they plopped on an already existing program means. So far everything you said is well within the scope of available training and even further within the scope of what a business should make available if it wants to remain a viable business.
What if the Hilton calls you up and say we are switching to these new “green” washers, but nobody who will be using them knows how to use them, and it will cost us $50,000 to have a factory rep come from the mainland to train our staff. Why don’t you get the feds to pay for you to offer a course and teach our folks?
And I’m even more dumbfounded by our politicians supporting this when they probably have no idea what the heck it means. Typical, throw the latest catch words on something and suddenly what people once hated is now accepted.
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