There’s good news for the future of green-collar employment, but it comes with a caveat: maximizing job growth in green industries will require the right public policy support. That means law-makers need to approve measures such as a renewable portfolio standard, incentives for renewable energy, public education programs and adequate funding for research and development.

If such measures are put in place, the U.S. could see as many as one out of every four workers employed by a renewable-energy or energy-efficiency industry by 2030, according to a new report from the American Solar Energy Society (ASES). That’s promising for both U.S. employees and for anyone concerned about reducing greenhouse gas emissions and our dependence on fossil fuels. But it will happen only, as the ASES report says, under “an aggressive deployment forecast scenario.”

That means we, as citizens and consumers, are going to have to apply strong and steady pressure on legislators — local, state and national — to do the right thing. And that, we all know, isn’t easy.

Still, if — as the saying goes — money walks, green-collar types might see Beltway support grow as green industries expand their economic muscle, which means more dollars for lobbying and campaign financing. And, in that regard, the future looks bright.

In the U.S., renewable-energy and energy-efficiency industries are already generating 8.5 million jobs and nearly $970 billion in annual revenues, according to the ASES report. “To put this in perspective,” the report states, “(t)otal sales for Wal-Mart, Exxon-Mobil and General Motors in 2006 were $905 billion.”

While companies on the energy-efficiency side — things like better windows, efficient appliances and insulation — are making more of the money right now, the renewables side is growing more rapidly.

The ASES predicts the hottest, fastest-growing industries will involve solar power, wind energy, ethanol and fuel-cell technologies. With the right level of public support, it says, we could see up to 40 million people employed — as everything from accountants and biochemists to engineers, mechanics and truck drivers — in the renewable-energy and energy-efficiency sectors by 2030, with annual green-industry revenues of $4.5 trillion.

Getting there, though, will require much more than a business-as-usual approach, the ASES report warns.

“This scenario requires appropriate, aggressive, sustained public policies at the federal and state level during next two decades,” it states. Getting decision-makers to come on board might take oil shortages, fossil-fuel price increases, growing security concerns or a greater awareness of the impact of climate change. The fear of suffering economically at a global level might also be a motivator.

“If we fail to invest in (renewable energy and energy efficiency), the United States runs the risk of losing ground to international … programs and industries,” the report concludes. “For the United States to be competitive in a carbon-constrained world, the (renewable energy and energy efficiency) industry will be a critical economic driver.”

If you’ve ever wondered about your impact on global warming while shopping for a t-shirt, bath towel, camera or printer, wonder no more. Cooler says it not only has the answer, but can help you offset whatever climate damage your shopping spree might have inflicted.

Cooler’s solution is actually two: one aimed at retailers and manufacturers that want to reduce their carbon footprint and better appeal to customers looking for eco-friendly businesses, and one aimed directly at consumers who want to shop online in a way that doesn’t increase greenhouse gas emissions.

The business option, called Cooler Complete, provides stores and factories with access to a carbon calculator that Cooler says is the first of its kind. The calculator sums up the full emissions impact of any good or service from the point it is created to the point it is sold. Cooler Complete also helps businesses create a roadmap for reducing emissions and buying offsets that support renewable energy or pollution prevention projects. And it provides a customized marketing plan to help client businesses spread the word about their efforts.

"Fifty percent of U.S. consumers would rather do business with companies that are working to reduce global warming," says Michel Gelobter, the founder and executive vice president of Cooler. "Nearly 40 percent of the average American’s global warming impact comes from everyday consumer products and services."

For the ordinary shopper who’s concerned about that impact, Cooler has another new offering: ClimateCooler.com. The consumer-targeted website lets you buy more than 8 million products from more than 400 businesses — from 123inkjets.com to Zones.com — and automatically offsets the global warming impact of each purchase.

It works like this: you click "buy" (paying the same price anyone else would pay going directly to the retailer) and ClimateCooler.com calculates the impact of your purchase. It then returns a portion of the price you paid back to the store, which uses the money to offset your climate impact.

The ClimateCooler.com people offer this example: Buy a cell phone at a "real" store, and you’ve just contribued almost 390 pounds of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Buy the same phone online, and your carbon emissions drop to about 370 pounds, because online shopping is more efficient. Buy the same phone through ClimateCooler.com, and your emissions are zero, because Cooler’s calculated offsets will compensate for your impact entirely.

It sounds almost too good to be true, but Cooler’s calculator has already won the approval of green groups like Environmental Defense, the National Wildlife Federation and the Natural Resources Defense Council, as well as that of The Gold Standard (an offset company).

Better yet: it’s here — dare I say it? — just in time for the holidays! (Sorry … they’re coming fast!)

Image credit: Mike Edwards, Wikimedia Commons