“Green collar” jobs – improving environmental conditions and quality of life – are an important path forward for the Hudson Valley. But in the current economic climate, it is challenging to begin imagining the appearance of any decent new jobs. How can we unleash imagination and possibility with small, useful steps that can build a foundation for a sustainable economy?

First, what do we actually mean by green? In spite of too many answers to that question, there is a decent expert consensus that a technology or enterprise is green to the extent that it:
• Moves toward zero waste and pollution;
• Moves toward zero depletion of nonrenewable resources;
• Moves toward zero destruction of ecosystems and natural resources, and repairs past damage;
• Meets human needs and provides decent quality of life for all, while meeting conditions 1 – 3.

So how do we translate these big visions into concrete work to be done, business opportunities, and real jobs now? Here is one modest proposal on where the next 100 jobs (or more) might be created, using local assets and serving local needs.

Toward zero waste and pollution:

Open a reuse center for salvaged building materials, along the lines of Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore, and a building deconstruction and salvage training program to generate the materials. 2 sales, 4 transport, 10 – 20 deconstruction and 1 training job.

Create small production industries using reclaimed and recycled materials – e.g. furniture and lighting from used shipping pallets and other common materials, and recycling of textiles into insulation materials. Model on MetaForm Studio in Pomona, whose sole proprietor hopes to hire 1 or 2 staff this year.

Produce biofuel pellets from hay and other farm wastes using a mobile pelletizer, now in the works from the U.S. Department of Agriculture: at scale, a pellet fuel initiative could employ 1 operator, 1 packaging/ distribution, 1 sales/ marketing and office management job.

Bring in a nontoxic dry cleaning (such as Zoots, a franchise) employs at least one technician and one counter person.

Start a nontoxic painting company for residential and small commercial jobs, which could also educate clients about green home products. Create 10 – 20 jobs.

Develop an eco-friendly art supply shop or mail order business. 1 – 3 jobs in purchasing, sales and service.

Toward a clean, renewable energy economy:

Create a nonprofit Energy Services company that is nimble and easy to work with, drawing on the model of Efficiency Vermont, and launch energy improvement campaigns in easy sectors (lighting replacements, water-efficient fixture replacements, water-efficient lawn maintenance practices). Create 12 – 16 jobs in year 1, and expand.

Train solar electric and solar thermal installers and support them in developing local businesses. Create 30 – 50 jobs in the region.

Solar energy is useful everywhere, but a priority is helping local businesses to improve their energy performance in order to stabilize employment. That means bringing solar to our struggling farms where equipment like chillers can go off-grid. And our restaurants, and then our commercial centers and all those flat-roofed strip malls… 1 designer and 3 steady installer jobs for a year.

An engineering services company would be useful to model, manage and repair the smart controls that make buildings green when they are actually tuned, tested and operating! 3 – 5 jobs.

Bring the Zipcar franchise (cars by the hour) creating one part-time job for a rental agent, and promoting efficiency by requiring people to think before jumping into the car.

Support bike sales, repair and rental shops in urban areas. 1 sales and 1 repair job + student apprenticeships.

To keep buildings cool with less reliance on air conditioning, develop a standard, affordable, green roof system and market it aggressively. Create 4 – 6 jobs in design and installation, + 1 in marketing and 1 in administration.

Because water management is one of the biggest users of energy, how about creating a “10,000 Rain Gardens” campaign (modeled on Kansas City), using household and business landscaping that retains water, in order to reduce the pressure on wastewater and stormwater infrastructure and keep water where it belongs – in the ground in our yards and fields. Create 6 outreach/ training jobs and 20 gardener jobs working on municipal lands.

Since the global food economy uses huge amounts of energy to ship gourmet goodies around the world, let’s create an “Ethnic Gourmet” food production business for local production of gourmet food products that are now imported, from Indian entrees to Danish butter cookies. A series of businesses that can grow to 6 – 10 jobs each within a year?

Also to strengthen the local food economy, provide expansion capital for Winter Sun Farms which freezes Hudson Valley produce for year-around distribution, and explore the use of Winter Sun produce in school and restaurant settings (farm to school, farm to chef)…create 3+ food processing jobs, 1 marketing job and 2 delivery jobs.

Toward a renewable materials economy:

A renewably-powered greenhouse industry could strengthen the region’s food system and create diverse jobs. This reduces the need for fossil fuels to import food products. It might begin w/ 6 – 8 installer/ operators to launch businesses that are widely dispersed – some in areas of high unemployment, others next to garden supply or building businesses, farm markets, schools, hospitals, or under-utilized urban spaces. Product sales and distribution jobs follow.

Rapidly renewable building materials and fuel crops such as bamboo and willow can be grown on under-utilized lands such as “hobby” farms and retreat centers. Employs at least one forester, and seasonal cultivation workers, plus marketing.

A centralized regional distributor of green building materials and products – modeled after Green Depot in New York City – could service the many retailers now interested in carrying these items.

Protecting and restoring natural systems:

A native plant nursery can employ 6 – 10 cultivators plus sales and management staff. Seed saving and plant propagation can be greenhouse-based in urban areas.

Landscaping and stormwater management technologies (such as “storm chambers” to distribute wastewater around a site, and erosion control materials), are in high demand in response to New York’s Phase II Stormwater Regulations and should be promoted, potentially creating dozens of jobs.

Restoration ecologists and landscape architects are needed to work with real estate development and infrastructure projects, to minimize the impacts of development and then restore natural systems. Another large market.

Pulling it together:

As each industry cluster goes to scale, educators, trainers, and marketing professionals will be needed.

To raise the profile of this emerging economy, develop a showroom for high-efficiency and alternative fuel vehicles, human-powered transportation, green building products and materials, in a prime location. Consider working with an existing complex such as a car dealership or mall that wants to upgrade its environmental performance dramatically. Put a restaurant, public atrium, and renewably-powered entertainment complex next to it to bring more people through. Advertise and enjoy.