President Obama and his administration seem determined to address climate change through carbon taxes.
Climate change is real, but I do think carbon taxes are NOT the way to address climate change.
Carbon Taxes = Higher Prices, More Unemployment
Carbon taxes are an extremely regressive form of taxation. By that I mean poor and middle class people will pay a widely disproportionate percentage of the taxes, especially considering that the carbon tax will be passed on to the general public through higher prices. Also, the less money you make, the greater the percentage of your overall income that will go to pay carbon taxes.
Make no mistake, the money to pay the carbon taxes MUST come from customers. Companies get 100% of their money from customers (that is you and me). They have no other source of money. Even the money a company gets from the government (such as defense contracts, bail outs or even the government simply buying office supplies) comes from the taxes you and I pay. No company has a source of money to pay increased taxes except their customers. All business taxes, including carbon taxes, are ultimately paid for by the consumer.
Increased taxes are usually passed on to the customer through higher prices, but what if the customer cannot afford the higher prices? A company may decide to not raise prices, instead choosing to cut costs. Cost cutting means workers losing retirement benefits, health insurance, or even their jobs (more unemployment).
We are already set up for massive inflation in the near future because of the massive debt and the massive printing of money that our governments have engaged in under the guise of trying to fix the economy. Carbon taxes will only add to the inflationary pressures.
What then , do I suggest:
1- Large- and small-scale reforestation efforts, sustainable forestry measures, greening of the deserts... In other words, to rebuild our planet's lungs.
2- Switch to renewable sources of clean energy - solar (both earth-based and space-based), wind, geothermal , and so forth.
3- Place a major emphasis on dramatically increasing energy efficiency.
4 - Redesign of the transportation system to emphasize rail for long distance transport of goods and people, cleaner burning natural gas for heavy duty vehicles (trucks, buses), electric for cars, and in urban areas walking, biking, car-pooling and public transportation.
Not only is my plan non-inflationary, it has the added benefit of creating a huge number of jobs. Carbon taxes will create a few bookkeeping/accounting jobs, but will have a net negative impact on jobs as companies lay off workers (in addition to raising prices) to balance out their increased taxes.
Good News
There is some really good news in accomplishing these goals. The government has finally realized the importance of building a new smart energy grid that will enable both the switch to renewable energy and the push for greater energy efficiency.
Oil tycoon Boone Pickens has realized that we need to promote alternatives to fossil fuels and is promoting the heck out of that need, raising public awareness and putting pressure on congress for the need of a smart grid. (Click here for an update on the Pickens Plan)
Wind- and solar-energy companies are rapidly growing even during these difficult economic times.
Reforestation projects abound around the world and sustainable forestry measures are being widely adopted.
Momentum is growing. Let's keep up the publicity and the pressure to adopt smart ways to mitigate climate change without destroying the economy and devastating the poor and middle classes.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
How to know if your job is in trouble...
The following list comes from an interview I watched recently on Bloomberg television. The interviewee also made the point that you should be talking to your manager (in a polite, cordial way) and trying to stay in the loop of what's going on at your company.
The more of the following list that applies to you, the greater the jeopardy that your job will be eliminated:
1- Cost-cutting measures being implemented throughout your company. If your company is suddenly watching every nickel and dime much more closely than it used to, that is not a good sign for jobs at the company.
2- A lighter than usual workload, or your duties being re-assigned elsewhere. If you are not being given any new long-term projects to replace finished projects, that is a very bad sign.
3- Your work is cyclical with significant slow periods.
4- Your position or department is not viewed as a revenue generator.
5- You are no longer included on meetings that you used to be in. This is a very bad sign that your down-sizing may already be in the works.
6- Increased scrutiny of your job performance by your manager. If your supervisors suddenly are micro-managing your work, or seemingly finding fault with everything you do, you may be in the process of being "set-up" to be let go.
Before You Lose Your Job
You see a couple of things from the above list as applying to your situation. What do you do about it?
The more of the following list that applies to you, the greater the jeopardy that your job will be eliminated:
1- Cost-cutting measures being implemented throughout your company. If your company is suddenly watching every nickel and dime much more closely than it used to, that is not a good sign for jobs at the company.
2- A lighter than usual workload, or your duties being re-assigned elsewhere. If you are not being given any new long-term projects to replace finished projects, that is a very bad sign.
3- Your work is cyclical with significant slow periods.
4- Your position or department is not viewed as a revenue generator.
5- You are no longer included on meetings that you used to be in. This is a very bad sign that your down-sizing may already be in the works.
6- Increased scrutiny of your job performance by your manager. If your supervisors suddenly are micro-managing your work, or seemingly finding fault with everything you do, you may be in the process of being "set-up" to be let go.
Before You Lose Your Job
You see a couple of things from the above list as applying to your situation. What do you do about it?
- Prepare financially to the extent you can. This means getting on a strict budget now, paying off debt, and building savings (see my essay What To Do Now for more ideas).
- Get ready to look for a new job now, don't wait until you are fired. Update your resume. Make some phone calls to your friends and other contacts to see if their companies or industries are hiring. Be discrete - some companies frown on their employees job hunting, but what they don't know won't hurt them.
- Take steps to protect your job. Read the article Keeping Your Job.
- Learn new skills. Take some classes at a local community college. Some ideas: Brush up on your computer skills. Learn bookkeeping/accounting. Learn Spanish for the workplace. The more you know, the more employable you will be.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Finding a Job in Difficult Times
Losing a job can be challenging even during the best of times. Losing a job during a recession, particularly a severe recession such as we are currently experiencing, can be frightening. I hope the following guide can provide some help.
Before You Lose The Job
First, it is important to mention some things you can do if you can do if you haven't yet lost your job.
You're Fired. Now What?
Okay, you've been downsized, laid-off, restructured, or whatever euphemism for being fired that your company choose to use. Now what? How do you find a job during the middle of an economic crisis? Your job-hunting strategies will be much the same as during the good times.
1- You are much more likely to find a job through a friend or family member than through the classifieds. So get out there and work your "network." Call or email all your friends, family, former co-workers, fellow church members, old college roommates, neighbors, industry colleagues and anyone else you know. Tell them you are out of work and ask them if they know if their company or industry is hiring. Ask them to let you know of any openings they hear of. (Much more on networking in a future Next Strategies article.)
2- Take advantage of any job-hunting help that may be offered by your former employer or your local government. I've noticed that my local government has been conducting job fairs specifically for people laid-off in several recent plant closings in my area. Local governments, and occasionally the companies themselves, will often try to help people left unemployed by large-scale lay offs by conducting job fairs, holding job-hunting seminars or even offering special training.
3- If you are a college graduate, get your college to help. Most colleges and universities have a career development office to help both current students and alumni. These offices offer everything from aptitude testing to job boards listing openings provided by other alumni.
4- Check out the resources of you local community college. Many have career development centers that offer everything from free and low-cost training courses to aptitude testing to skills assessment to help writing your resume. These resources are available to the community as a whole, not just current or former students.
5- Consider temporary or part-time work while continuing your job hunt. The extra income will help. Be aware of how this may or may not effect any unemployment benefits you may be receiving.
6- Be willing to settle for less until you can find more. You may have to take a job making less money, or with less prestige, then your old job. Don't despair, you can always find a new, better paying job once the economy turns around.
7- Consider switching careers to one in the "new economy." See my posts Green Jobs Not Just for Scientists and Top Green Jobs for some ideas. Most experts agree that future job growth will be in "green economy" industries such as renewable energy, energy efficiency, sustainable agriculture, sustainable forestry, recycling & resource recovery, and water treatment, as well as health care and government jobs such as teaching.
Also, be aware that we are transitioning, according to Jim Rogers and others, away from an economy that favored pencil pushers and money shufflers over the last thirty years or so, to one that will favor those actually producing real goods.
Who Is, and Isn't, Hiring Right Now
I've been paying close attention to the job reports lately. Not just the overall unemployment figures, but to the details of what industries are and aren't hiring right now. Here is a breakdown from what I have seen:
Construction - Huge numbers of lay-offs. However, if you dig into the details, you find that the bleak picture is mainly in new construction. Repair and maintenance of infrastructure and existing buildings is actually doing okay, with companies involved in renewable energy and/or retrofitting structures for energy efficiency actually adding jobs at the moment. A phone call to the contractor who installed my energy-efficient windows confirmed this situation. He reports doing booming business and recently hiring several new employees.
Banking, insurance, financial services - Huge numbers of lay-offs with no bright spots.
Automobile manufacturers & related - The picture is very bleak with one bright exception - Tesla Motors, which is currently hiring.
Agriculture - Employment numbers currently way down, but somewhat as expected since winter is normally a low-employment period anyway.
Renewable Energy - As mentioned earlier, this industry appears red-hot and is hiring fast. Many of the jobs can be found using the job boards listed on the right column of the Next Strategies website.
Health Care - Employment figures are holding strong, particularly for nurses.
Education - I am getting mixed messages. National reports claim that teachers are being hired. However, a number of local school systems in my area are actually planning lay-offs of teachers as well as support staff for next school year. Declining property values have meant declining property tax revenues which is where a huge chunk of funding for education comes from.
Federal Government - The federal government is trying to fill all open positions as fast as possible as part of trying to stimulate the economy. Also, the Census Bureau continues to ramp up ahead of the 2010 census and is hiring full- and part-time.
Local and State Governments - Highly mixed. Many have hiring freezes in place. Some are actually reducing their work force. However, some are trying to hire, particularly to fill vacant positions and for new infrastructure projects. The latter may continue to pick up as state and local governments receive federal stimulus money.
Before You Lose The Job
First, it is important to mention some things you can do if you can do if you haven't yet lost your job.
- Prepare financially to the extent you can. This means getting on a strict budget, paying off debt, and building savings (see my essay What To Do Now for more ideas).
- Get ready to look for a new job now, don't wait until you are fired. Update your resume. Make some phone calls to your friends and contacts to see if their companies or industries are hiring. Be discrete - some companies frown on their employees job hunting, but what they don't know won't hurt them.
- Take steps to protect your job. Read the article Keeping Your Job.
- Learn new skills. Take some classes at a local community college. Brush up on your computer skills. Learn bookkeeping/accounting. Learn Spanish for the workplace. The more you know, the more employable you will be. Looking to change careers? Consider getting a degree in Sustainable Agriculture, Sustainable Forestry or Renewable Energy.
You're Fired. Now What?
Okay, you've been downsized, laid-off, restructured, or whatever euphemism for being fired that your company choose to use. Now what? How do you find a job during the middle of an economic crisis? Your job-hunting strategies will be much the same as during the good times.
1- You are much more likely to find a job through a friend or family member than through the classifieds. So get out there and work your "network." Call or email all your friends, family, former co-workers, fellow church members, old college roommates, neighbors, industry colleagues and anyone else you know. Tell them you are out of work and ask them if they know if their company or industry is hiring. Ask them to let you know of any openings they hear of. (Much more on networking in a future Next Strategies article.)
2- Take advantage of any job-hunting help that may be offered by your former employer or your local government. I've noticed that my local government has been conducting job fairs specifically for people laid-off in several recent plant closings in my area. Local governments, and occasionally the companies themselves, will often try to help people left unemployed by large-scale lay offs by conducting job fairs, holding job-hunting seminars or even offering special training.
3- If you are a college graduate, get your college to help. Most colleges and universities have a career development office to help both current students and alumni. These offices offer everything from aptitude testing to job boards listing openings provided by other alumni.
4- Check out the resources of you local community college. Many have career development centers that offer everything from free and low-cost training courses to aptitude testing to skills assessment to help writing your resume. These resources are available to the community as a whole, not just current or former students.
5- Consider temporary or part-time work while continuing your job hunt. The extra income will help. Be aware of how this may or may not effect any unemployment benefits you may be receiving.
6- Be willing to settle for less until you can find more. You may have to take a job making less money, or with less prestige, then your old job. Don't despair, you can always find a new, better paying job once the economy turns around.
7- Consider switching careers to one in the "new economy." See my posts Green Jobs Not Just for Scientists and Top Green Jobs for some ideas. Most experts agree that future job growth will be in "green economy" industries such as renewable energy, energy efficiency, sustainable agriculture, sustainable forestry, recycling & resource recovery, and water treatment, as well as health care and government jobs such as teaching.
Also, be aware that we are transitioning, according to Jim Rogers and others, away from an economy that favored pencil pushers and money shufflers over the last thirty years or so, to one that will favor those actually producing real goods.
Who Is, and Isn't, Hiring Right Now
I've been paying close attention to the job reports lately. Not just the overall unemployment figures, but to the details of what industries are and aren't hiring right now. Here is a breakdown from what I have seen:
Construction - Huge numbers of lay-offs. However, if you dig into the details, you find that the bleak picture is mainly in new construction. Repair and maintenance of infrastructure and existing buildings is actually doing okay, with companies involved in renewable energy and/or retrofitting structures for energy efficiency actually adding jobs at the moment. A phone call to the contractor who installed my energy-efficient windows confirmed this situation. He reports doing booming business and recently hiring several new employees.
Banking, insurance, financial services - Huge numbers of lay-offs with no bright spots.
Automobile manufacturers & related - The picture is very bleak with one bright exception - Tesla Motors, which is currently hiring.
Agriculture - Employment numbers currently way down, but somewhat as expected since winter is normally a low-employment period anyway.
Renewable Energy - As mentioned earlier, this industry appears red-hot and is hiring fast. Many of the jobs can be found using the job boards listed on the right column of the Next Strategies website.
Health Care - Employment figures are holding strong, particularly for nurses.
Education - I am getting mixed messages. National reports claim that teachers are being hired. However, a number of local school systems in my area are actually planning lay-offs of teachers as well as support staff for next school year. Declining property values have meant declining property tax revenues which is where a huge chunk of funding for education comes from.
Federal Government - The federal government is trying to fill all open positions as fast as possible as part of trying to stimulate the economy. Also, the Census Bureau continues to ramp up ahead of the 2010 census and is hiring full- and part-time.
Local and State Governments - Highly mixed. Many have hiring freezes in place. Some are actually reducing their work force. However, some are trying to hire, particularly to fill vacant positions and for new infrastructure projects. The latter may continue to pick up as state and local governments receive federal stimulus money.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Educational Programs in Sustainable Forestry
This is the third in an ongoing series of educational programs for the new "green economy." The first installment featured programs in sustainable agriculture. The second installment featured programs in renewable energy technology. This installment looks at educational programs in forestry that emphasize sustainable forest management as part of the curriculum (see the essay Sustainable Forestry for more on the concept).
In the USA
Auburn University, Alabama
Center for Forest Sustainability
Duke University, North Carolina
part of the Southern Center for Sustainable Forests
Humboldt State University, California
Forestry and Wildland Resources
Iowa State University
Natural Resource Ecology and Management
Louisiana State University
School of Renewable Natural Resources
Michigan State University
Department of Forestry
Michigan Tech
Forest Resources and Environmental Science
North Carolina State University
part of the Southern Center for Sustainable Forests
Oklahoma State University
Natural Resource Ecology and Management
Oregon State University
Sustainable Forestry/Agroforestry
Paul Smith's College, New York
Forestry
Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
Forestry
State University of New York
Forests and Natural Resources Management
University of Alaska, Fairbanks
Department of Forest Sciences
University of Georgia
School of Forestry and Natural Resources
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences
University of Kentucky
Department of Forestry
University of Maine
School of Forest Resources
University of Montana
College of Forestry and Conservation
University of Washington
College of Forest Resources
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Forest and Wildlife Ecology
University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point
College of Natural Resources
Yale University, Connecticut
The Global Institute of Sustainable Forestry
In Australia
National Forestry Masters (NFM) Program
Australian National University
Southern Cross University
University of Melbourne
University of Queensland
University of Tasmania
In Canada
British Columbia Institute of Technology
College of the North Atlantic
Lakehead University
Maritime College of Forest Technology
University of Alberta
University of British Columbia
University of New Brunswick
University of Toronto
In Japan
Tokyo University Forests Home Page
In the USA
Auburn University, Alabama
Center for Forest Sustainability
Duke University, North Carolina
part of the Southern Center for Sustainable Forests
Humboldt State University, California
Forestry and Wildland Resources
Iowa State University
Natural Resource Ecology and Management
Louisiana State University
School of Renewable Natural Resources
Michigan State University
Department of Forestry
Michigan Tech
Forest Resources and Environmental Science
North Carolina State University
part of the Southern Center for Sustainable Forests
Oklahoma State University
Natural Resource Ecology and Management
Oregon State University
Sustainable Forestry/Agroforestry
Paul Smith's College, New York
Forestry
Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
Forestry
State University of New York
Forests and Natural Resources Management
University of Alaska, Fairbanks
Department of Forest Sciences
University of Georgia
School of Forestry and Natural Resources
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences
University of Kentucky
Department of Forestry
University of Maine
School of Forest Resources
University of Montana
College of Forestry and Conservation
University of Washington
College of Forest Resources
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Forest and Wildlife Ecology
University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point
College of Natural Resources
Yale University, Connecticut
The Global Institute of Sustainable Forestry
In Australia
National Forestry Masters (NFM) Program
Australian National University
Southern Cross University
University of Melbourne
University of Queensland
University of Tasmania
In Canada
British Columbia Institute of Technology
College of the North Atlantic
Lakehead University
Maritime College of Forest Technology
University of Alberta
University of British Columbia
University of New Brunswick
University of Toronto
In Japan
Tokyo University Forests Home Page
Monday, March 2, 2009
Educational Programs in Renewable Energy Technology
The following is a list of Colleges and Universities currently offering programs in renewable energy technology. The list may not be complete since degrees and programs relating to sustainability are being added by many institutions to meet the demands of the green economy. (For a list of sustainable agriculture programs, click here).
Because many of these schools offer multiple programs, ranging from certificates and 2-year degrees, to undergraduate and graduate programs, I will not list the individual programs offered. You will need to follow the link to their website and search it to discover exactly what they are offering.
I will be posting reviews of many of these programs in the coming weeks, so check back often.
In the United States
Air Force Institute of Technology, Ohio
Appalachian State University, North Carolina
Arizona State University
Bronx Community College, New York
Canton College, New York
Central State University, Ohio
Farmingdale College, NY
Highland Community College, Kansas
Humboldt State University, California
Illinois State University
John Brown University, Arkansas
Lane Community College, Oregon
Lawrence Tech, Michigan
Mid-State Technical College, Wisconsin
North Carolina State University
Oregon Institute of Technology
Red Rocks Community College, Colorado
San Deigo State University, California
San Juan College, New Mexico
Slippery Rock University, Pennsylvania
University of Dayton, Ohio
University of Michigan
University of Wisconsin - Madison
Washington State University
Wayne State University, Michigan
Wright State University, Ohio
In Denmark
Aalborg University
In Finland
University of Jyvaskyla
In Iceland
RES – the School for Renewable Energy Science
In Poland
University of Science and Technology - AGH
In Sweden
Institutionen för Energiteknik
KTH - Royal Institute of Technology
In the UK
Newcastle University
University of Dundee
University of Nottingham
University of Ulster
Elsewhere in Europe
Check out the European Master in Renewable Energy coordinated by the Eurec agency.
In India
University of Lucknow
In South Africa
Stellenbosch University
University of Cape Town
Because many of these schools offer multiple programs, ranging from certificates and 2-year degrees, to undergraduate and graduate programs, I will not list the individual programs offered. You will need to follow the link to their website and search it to discover exactly what they are offering.
I will be posting reviews of many of these programs in the coming weeks, so check back often.
In the United States
Air Force Institute of Technology, Ohio
Appalachian State University, North Carolina
Arizona State University
Bronx Community College, New York
Canton College, New York
Central State University, Ohio
Farmingdale College, NY
Highland Community College, Kansas
Humboldt State University, California
Illinois State University
John Brown University, Arkansas
Lane Community College, Oregon
Lawrence Tech, Michigan
Mid-State Technical College, Wisconsin
North Carolina State University
Oregon Institute of Technology
Red Rocks Community College, Colorado
San Deigo State University, California
San Juan College, New Mexico
Slippery Rock University, Pennsylvania
University of Dayton, Ohio
University of Michigan
University of Wisconsin - Madison
Washington State University
Wayne State University, Michigan
Wright State University, Ohio
In Denmark
Aalborg University
In Finland
University of Jyvaskyla
In Iceland
RES – the School for Renewable Energy Science
In Poland
University of Science and Technology - AGH
In Sweden
Institutionen för Energiteknik
KTH - Royal Institute of Technology
In the UK
Newcastle University
University of Dundee
University of Nottingham
University of Ulster
Elsewhere in Europe
Check out the European Master in Renewable Energy coordinated by the Eurec agency.
In India
University of Lucknow
In South Africa
Stellenbosch University
University of Cape Town
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