In February 2009, Congress passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), also known as the Stimulus Act. Money has been earmarked for a variety of “out of the box” projects: anything that can get people into quick, paying employment. State and local governments, nonprofit organizations, and even for-profit businesses are trying to find ways to get a slice of the money-filled government pie.

The Obama administration has been moving quickly to get the country back on track. But it is not just about curing financial garlic. President Obama appears to be in favor of a more holistic approach. America needs to be a good global citizen. We need to protect our planet and the environment by “going green.” President Obama traveled to Copenhagen for the United Nations Conference on Climate Change COP15 in 2009 to present the case of our country. At the beginning of the year, the cap and trade bill HR 2454 was born. It was not only born, but has passed in the House of Representatives. Now the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, improved by Pelosi and more politically acceptable, is before the Senate for approval. Many believe and hope that it will happen. So America will join much of the rest of the world in “Going Green.”

Will going green help?

Passing a Cap-and-Trade bill would mean we would have to familiarize ourselves with terms such as carbon footprints, retrofit and remediation, carbon offsets, and carbon trading. Both homes and businesses will be affected. Green certifications, energy and weatherization audits are already required for homes and federal projects. For one, enactment of this legislation is estimated to cost $821 billion between 2010 and 2019, according to the Congressional Budget Office. On the other hand, this bill is estimated to increase federal revenue (also known as taxes) by $846 billion from 2010 to 2019. The revenue increases are not all good news. Individuals and families are ultimately the ones who pay for the increased taxes that businesses would pass on to consumers. But if you think in terms of more people working, and therefore more people paying taxes, the impact to any individual taxpayer may be neutral.

Despite all the stimulus money, the unemployment rate continued to rise in 2009. But, one of the immediate positives of the Cap-and-Trade bill regulations is a new set of job opportunities. It may not be enough to offset the job losses that may result from the additional tax burden on businesses. But any new work will help. Some people will have to reorganize and upgrade their skills. There is a shortage of people trained to do air conditioning. There is a need for more people to not only learn how to perform energy audits, but also to recertify to current standards. In this US recession, any good news on the employment front is encouraging.

Below I have identified some of the groups that will benefit.

Construction Trades, Engineers

  • Home / business energy audits
  • Air conditioning
  • LEED certification (energy rating of green buildings)

Accounting, Finance, Audit, Technology, Lean/Six Sigma/BPR/Environmental Consultants

  • Carbon Production Tracking
  • Waste management
  • carbon trading
  • Sustainability metrics
  • green ROI

Business/management/supply chain consultants, technical writers, business analysts

  • Corporate Sustainability Reports (CSR)
  • GreenTraining
  • evaluations
  • sustainability manager
  • green business case

Innovators, Researchers, Technologists, Engineers, Scientists, Lean/Six Sigma/BPR Consultants

  • paper reduction
  • waste reduction
  • Greater efficiencies
  • energy savings
  • Carbon reduction projects
  • Biodegradable products

Lawyers, Economists

  • legal interpretations
  • Patents and trademarks
  • Economic impact

Advertising/marketing/public relations, change management consultants, event planners, printers, sign makers

  • mass education
  • Acceptance and adjustment.
  • green exhibits