The need to stimulate the economy and grow a Green Collar Workforce is undeniable.  In fact, one of the topics discussed in this week's State of Green Business Forum was the current condition of the green job market.  The press has spent many thousands of words writing about the stimulus package up for vote now and the previous administration's bail out package.  What hasn't been detailed is exactly how some of this spending creates actual green jobs.  There are many pieces to this puzzle some of which are a qualified workforce, the opportunity, funding and the technology required to solve these problems.  I'm sure there are many examples that can be detailed in this manner, but I hope this specific case helps the public understand how the money flows from this spending down to our local economy.

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Jerry Yudelson of Tucson-based Green Building Consultant, Yudelson Associates, projects that the green building industry will grow significantly in 2009.  Yudelson has just published his Top Ten List of Green Building Trends for the coming year.  In it, he shows great enthusiasm for the industry despite the macro economic conditions resulting from the credit crisis and other economic malaise.

"What we're seeing is that more people are going green each year, and there is nothing on the horizon that will stop this trend," explains Yudelson. "In putting together my Top Ten trends for 2009, I'm taking advantage of conversations I've had with green building leaders in the U.S., Canada, Europe and the Middle East over the past year."

We're very glad that Jerry agrees that we will see an increase in the greening of existing buildings this year (see #3).  We believe that lighting retrofit projects are one of the easiest to plan, design and complete and they also provide one of the quickest return on investments. Lighting retrofit projects are the "low hanging fruit" of the green building movement for existing buildings.  Jerry's complete top ten list is shown below.

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