Our Climate Crisis: How to be Part of the Solution

During this last year of the pandemic, like many of you, I found myself learning about topics that aren’t normally top of mind for me. Though I’ve had an interest in our environment and climate change, my studies in the past several months opened my eyes to how urgent, and extensive our climate crisis is. Since Earth Day is upon us, I decided to share some of what I learned about our environmental crisis and my thoughts about the future. 

I’m shocked by the projection given in the documentary “Seaspiracy” that we literally will have no fish in the ocean by 2048, a year that falls easily in our own lifetime! In his book, “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster,” Bill Gates states that we add 51 billion tons of greenhouse emissions to the atmosphere every year, and that we need to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 to avoid a horrendous climate disaster. It became clear to me, as it has to many others, that we simply cannot continue as we have in previous decades. 

We are nearing a point of no return. Immediate, significant action is needed. Turning the trajectory of climate change around may very well be the greatest challenge we as humans have ever faced.

I know many of us changed our personal habits. I recycle and made my garden into a pollinator-friendly space. I try to find sustainable brands for the products I buy and avoid single-use plastics. I am sure many of you have come up with your own creative ways to become part of the solution in your daily lives. I’d love to hear about them in the comments section below.

As a business owner, I also started thinking about how businesses and jobs fit into the equation, not only the positive effects businesses have on finding solutions to the climate issue, but also the positive effects that these new solutions have on future jobs and careers. 

Job Market Shifts and Opportunities

Unfortunately, in prior years, the focus was on potential job losses as we shifted away from technologies that harmed our planet towards new, more sustainable technologies. It’s true that some industries need to update and change current operations for us to win the race to avoid dire consequences. As certain types of jobs become obsolete, many new jobs begin as we embrace new eco-friendly technologies and tackle the effects of climate change.

As temperatures rise and extreme weather events become more frequent, the need for updated and stronger infrastructure, from bridges and levees to power grids, exists. As our society shifts to clean energy, we need with it a brand-new infrastructure of wind farms, electric vehicle charging stations, etc. As manufacturers shift towards using eco-friendly materials in their products, factories and equipment require modifications. We need revamped agricultural practices, to not only become more eco-friendly but to also address the changes in temperature and weather patterns that already occur. This requires an enormous amount of work, and the workforce required to design and implement it is huge as well.

Future job market demands include more clean energy engineers, conservationists, waste removal and recycling professionals and consultants, as well as blue-collar workers needed to put new technologies in place. According to a Brookings Institute report, clean energy jobs provide stability and higher pay. With the administration’s proposed infrastructure plan aggressively addressing our climate crisis, we see the potential for workers to obtain some incredible benefits — if they prepare and position themselves for the future rather than clinging to the past. 

According to the International Labour Organization, the future transforms many jobs as we move forward. Jobs in areas like grid modernization, sustainable modifications for transportation, and renewable energy transition become more common. Many workers may already have skills that apply to environmentally conscious fields. Other workers need to take advantage of the changes and challenges as an opportunity to learn new skills and capabilities to thrive in their careers. Climate change is not only an issue for the energy sector. As we face crucial moments in this crisis, many existing fields, such as the technology sector, need to pivot and adapt to stay ahead on the cutting edge. 

Whether we’re business leaders or individuals, we’re all citizens of Earth with the capability and responsibility to contribute to solutions to bring our planet back to balance. For too long, the relationship between our planet and the economic world was one-sided, with short-term profit prioritized over long-term environmental impacts. That attitude cannot continue if we are to survive. The climate crisis forces us to rethink life and business functions, and with that, we need to reevaluate how businesses and the workforce support an environmentally sustainable future. Some shifts already occurred, with more surely to follow. Only through recommitment, research, innovation and action can we come out of this crisis. 

?How will you and your business become part of the solution? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

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Read my previous blogs about the climate crisis, including The Workforce Alignment to Climate Crisis, Make Earth Day Every Day and Use This Pause to Reflect.

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