Green Jobs on the Rise in the United States

By AYCA TUZER, age 11

Green jobs are growing faster than jobs in other fields, even the fast-growing healthcare industry. In 2011, 2.6 percent of all the jobs in the country were green.

Green jobs are jobs that help keep the environment clean. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which works on environmental issues around the world, green jobs are agricultural, manufacturing, research and development jobs that focus on reducing pollution and protecting the environment. One green job is being a soil scientist. A soil scientist looks at the data of soil sources and analyzes them to help protect the environment. People who protect buildings from the cold by adding special windows or siding and people who install solar panels also have green jobs.

A 2012 report said that the development of a greener economy could help unemployed and poor people by creating millions of new jobs all over the world. Achim Steiner, executive director of UNEP, says: “The findings underline that the green economy can include millions more people in terms of overcoming poverty and delivering improved livelihoods for this and future generations. It is a positive message of opportunity in a troubled world of challenges.”