Story by Jenn Grider
Recycling is a common way to join green lifestyle. (Photos by Jenn Grider)
New Mexico is known for its blue-collar jobs in the chile and oil industries, but a job of a different color is emerging in the Southwest job market.
Green jobs are currently a hot issue in New Mexico – and specifically on the New Mexico State University campus.
In January of 2009, Gov. Bill Richardson created the Green Jobs Cabinet, which was directed at enhancing clean energy, clean technology economic development and actually creating more eco-friendly jobs.
This cabinet has created various resources to benefit those developing research projects on ways to be more earth-friendly.
NMSU develops fuel from algae
The Arrowhead Research center is figuring out just how many green jobs are on the New Mexico market.
Algal Biofuels for Aviation, a renewable energy project at NMU, received $2.4 million for research focusing on algal biomass production, conversion to aviation fuel, and optimizing gas turbines for these biofuels.
“In tough economic times like these, targeted investments right here at home become even more important,” Congressman Harry Teague said at the very first Harry in Your Hometown event held on the NMSU campus. “With cutting-edge research projects like algal biofuels for aviation and keeping our nation’s food supply safe, NMSU will continue to be a key driver of economic development for our community and the entire Southwest,” he pointed out.
Another research project at NMSU to receive funding was Oil Resources from Desert Plants. The project received $176,000 for the development of new high-value agricultural crops yielding industrial products for producing renewable energies.
Those are just some of the green jobs receivting funding for their work on renewable resources, but these are difficult economic times, one needs to know what green jobs are available.
That’s what NMSU’s Arrowhead Center plans to figure out. During an 18-month project for the state Department of Workforce Solutions, the center is going to learn exactly how many green jobs are in New Mexico.
The project is funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in the amount of $1.25 million. The primary goals of the study is to help workers, underserved communities and find jobs in expanding green industries and related occupations.
Define green
Green jobs are family-supporting, career-track jobs that precisely contribute to conserving or enhancing the quality of the environment. The Green Jobs Cabinet has created a green-job guidebook to educated job seekers and students venturing out into the workforce on what green jobs are and where to find them.
Students serve the environment when they recycle paper, cans and plastic. (Photo by Jenn Grider)
While NMSU students are seen around campus recycling and actively portraying their concern for the environment by recycling or refurbishing items in new and innovative ways, what are their opinions of jobs that concern the environment?
“If given the opportunity to choose between two equal jobs, one green and the other not, I’ll choose the green job,” Steven Bunt, a recent graduate of NMSU, said. “But in this state of the economy, I do not have the luxury of choosing—any job is seen as a good one. The green I care about at the moment is the money.”
Other Las Crucens say the research will bring new economic job diversity to the community and benefit everyone.
“I don’t care what color the job is. It’s definitely a win-win,” Bill Mattiace, vice president of governmental affairs for the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce, said concerning the creation of green jobs and the economic development of the city.
