50,000 is the number of ‘green’ jobs that is frequently used as the anticipated outcome from implementing Ontario’s Green Energy Act (GEA). 50,000 is a lot of new jobs. Given the economic gloom and doom, any province would be happy with that kind of growth. So I thought it might be a good idea to see where that number comes from and if it is, in fact, an accurate prediction.

Defining a “Green Job”

To verify that number, one can either track the number of green jobs, or determine the number of new jobs created by green policy.  To do the first, it is necessary to have a standard definition of a green job.  Which, it turns out, does not really exist. Defining environmental employment is a complex undertaking.  For example, is someone who works in a steel mill doing a green job?  What if some of that steel is used for building a tower for a wind turbine?  Not so easy, eh?

Another way to see if the GEA will be an economic engine is to estimate the number of jobs likely to be created by climate change reduction policies.  In a 2009 study, Robert Pollin and Heidi Garrett-Peltier compared the number of jobs created under the GEA vs. business as usual. Their conclusion was that the GEA would actually contribute to 90,442 total new jobs per year vs. 35,189 under the business as usual scenario.

Green Jobs on the Rise

While some of this may sound overly theoretical and is often debated in the media as a marketing ploy for the green movement, there are lots of positive, local examples of job growth spurred by green policy.  In a June, 2011 article in the Windsor Star, Time to set the record straight, Manish Nayar describes how in his group of solar companies alone, 27 new jobs have been created.  He goes on to say that the current estimate for new jobs created in the solar industry stands close to 18,000.

Manish also provides some other interesting information that strongly refutes claims that the commitment to GEA takes away from the real business of the economy.  According to Manish, the Independent Electricity System Operator paid $2.78 per kilowatt hour in June, 2011 to meet peak electricity demand.  So, in actuality, supporting renewable energy isn’t taking away from economic issues – it addresses it head on.

REDY Graduates Finding Success

I would like to share one other local story, which has to do with GLOBE’s 2011 REDY (Reducing Energy Demand with Youth) program.  Just launched this year, this green jobs program connects the dots between youth unemployment, energy retrofit work, housing and the green economy.  Of the 53 2011 REDY youth graduates, almost 90% have found at least temporary employment. That’s got to be good for the environment and economy, not to mention the REDY graduates.

So for any green sceptics out there, whether you worry or not when you see a lonely polar bear on a melting ice floe, the GEA is good for Ontario. Now, all of this does presume that the Government of Ontario stands behind its commitment to direct public dollars towards climate change solutions, including energy conservation and the transition to new skills development. Let’s hope they do.  Because after all, what could be better than policy that addresses climate change, improves the liveability of housing and generates strong, new job growth?

[slickr-flickr tag="REDY" id="63520439@N05" caption="no"]

I am not a huge fan of acronyms, but REDY (Reducing Energy Demand with Youth) is pretty cool. Let’s Get REDY; REDY, Set, Go; REDY or Not…well you get the picture. But what makes REDY really cool is a lot more than how well it works in those phrases. This green jobs youth training, just wrapping up in London after successful sessions in Toronto and Kingston, is one of those great ideas that connect all the dots. Those dots are youth unemployment, energy poverty, building retrofits and green jobs.

What’s a Green Job?

The idea of green jobs is relatively new and is used in different ways so it may be helpful to start off with a bit of a discussion of what a green job means.

A green job is any job whose primary intention minimizes environmental impact. It can be a service job or it can also be related to a manufacturing process or a product. It is a job that releases fewer toxic emissions, reduces waste, promotes alternatives to fossil fuels, conserves energy or maybe does all of those things together. A green job includes both new technologies and new ways of thinking about old technologies.

Buildings Contribute 50% of GHG Emissions

For the REDY program the green jobs training focused on building retrofit work. Why? Here is where the connection between the dots really starts to happen. Buildings in Canada contribute about 50% of all greenhouse gas emissions so there is both need and opportunity to conserve energy and lower the environmental impact. In addition, more than 15% of Ontarians live in apartments that are among the least energy efficient. Retrofit work that is designed to conserve energy also contributes to building longevity, reduced utility bills, improved resident comfort and lower maintenance demands. It is considered one of the best ways to improve economic, social and environmental well-being.

Youth Unemployment is 2x National Average

One final statistic that I want to mention is that currently youth unemployment in Canada is about twice the national average at just over 14%. This leads to another connection: and that is to train youth to be part of the solution. Training and hiring youth in the evolving green jobs sector is the perfect opportunity to engage youth in sustainable, valuable work that’s good for the economy and the social fabric of our communities.

The Youth Participants

Working with our fantastic community partners from the Ontario Association of Youth Employment Centres and our training partner, Housing Solutions Inc., 60 youth participants have already completed the REDY program. The participants have come from a variety of backgrounds and interests and have been inspired to use this entry level opportunity to identify their next steps whether that is employment, or further education or training. All participants have been enthusiastic about the opportunities in this sector and the knowledge that they are part of the green revolution. And that leads us to the final connection: we also need to have businesses provide job opportunities for these REDY graduates. Businesses have a lot to gain too; from the positive outcomes of green retrofit work to employing trained, enthusiastic youth who can do the job, not to mention access to training incentives.

Be REDY

So here it is; my last play on words. Be REDY for the future. Start the conversation about how you and your residents can go green; implement a green office policy, consider a long range green retrofit plan, write a youth hiring policy, participate in GLOBE’s Community Champion program or hire a REDY graduate. There are lots of ways for you to get involved.

You can also go to the upcoming OMSSA conference to hear Keir Brownstone, General Manager of GLOBE discussing REDY as part of a panel discussion on

Housing Careers as a Pathway out of Poverty
Wednesday, June 8 – 9:30 to 11:00 am

Call us today at 1.877.733.SHSC (7472) and ask about hiring a REDY (Reducing Energy Demand with Youth) graduate

On April 15, 2011, GLOBE and SHSC’s Energy Smart Initiative was recognized by the City of Toronto’s Green Toronto Awards at the Green Living Show. A finalist in the energy conservation category, the Energy Smart Initiative involved implementing a selection of ‘deep’ electrical retrofit and conservation measures in 11 electrically-heated social housing properties. This totalled 850 units which also utilized GLOBE’s acclaimed Community Champions program to educate residents on the measures and how to conserve. Together, all participating buildings received a wide range of energy conserving upgrades, from weatherization to lighting technologies. The savings from just the installation of compact fluorescents and power bars alone equal an energy savings of 1300 kilowatts, which is equivalent to taking 64 cars off the road.

Want to reduce your energy demand at home or at work?

Here are some energy saving tips from the Energy Smart Initiative that you may consider implementing either personally, in your buildings, or to pass on to residents:

1. Use a programmable thermostat and lower the temperature at night. Even 1 degree lower in winter, and 1 degree higher in summer, can deliver significant energy savings over time without compromising comfort.
2. Plug electronics into a power bar and turn it off when not in use. Electronic devices consume ‘phantom’ power just by being plugged into the wall. This is eliminated when using a power bar.
3. Arrange your furniture and drapes so they don’t block baseboard heaters or forced air vents.
4. When washing dishes, instead of consistently running hot water, plug the sink and fill it up. Don’t forget — when you waste water, you waste electricity too.
5. Pull shades or drapes over windows on winter nights to keep the cold air out and on summer days to keep out the hot sun.

Reducing Energy Demand with Youth

On a related green note, GLOBE’s current initiative, REDY (Reducing Energy Demand with Youth), is a program that trains youth in jobs that range from retrofit work to the installation of new, renewable energy technology. Over the course of the next three years, REDY will provide training and assist with placements for 120 youth participants in 6 cities.

With rising energy costs, more and more people are becoming worried about their utility bills. Are you one of them?

The social housing sector is a large consumer of electricity, natural gas, water and materials. In fact, the sector spends approximately $400 million a year on utilities and these costs are rising.

In response to these concerns, GLOBE recently launched the Sustainability Toolbox: a free, interactive online tool that focuses on no-cost and low-cost ways to run a more profitable and sustainable business.

When you download the Sustainability Toolbox, you will find some easy solutions for keeping utility costs down both at home and at work. It comes down to following three basic rules:

1. Use efficient technology.

• Replacing or buying new equipment or appliances? Choose the most efficient models available. Look for the EnergyStar logo – it’s an easy way to recognize the most energy-efficient choices!
• Replacing toilets, taps and/or showerheads? Install low-flow models to reduce your water use by 25%-50%.
• Not ready for big upgrades? Faucet aerators are inexpensive and easy to install, and will reduce water use without affecting water pressure.
• Change your lightbulbs! CFL bulbs are up to 75% more efficient and last up to 10 times longer – you’ll not only save energy, but maintenance costs as well.
• Get automatic results. Occupancy sensors and/or motion detectors will optimize lighting and fan use and reduce waste. Programmable thermostats allow for comfort and convenience while managing energy used to heat and cool the area.

2. Make sure that the equipment you have, works the way it’s supposed to!

Maximize efficiency by making sure to follow operations and maintenance recommendations.

• Clean and/or replace furnace and exhaust filters regularly.
• Improve circulation: make sure that nothing blocks radiators, registers or vents.
• Repair leaky toilets, faucets and showerheads immediately. A leak of one drop per second can waste as much as 10,000 litres of water a year!
• Insulate and seal windows and doors against drafts. Caulk all cracks and gaps in and around windows, doors, baseboards etc.

3. Stop wasting!

• Turn lights and electronics off when not in use.
• Don’t heat or cool unoccupied space.
• Use cold water to wash your clothes, and only wash full loads of laundry.
• Don’t leave the tap running when washing dishes or brushing your teeth.
• Reduce the amount of garbage you produce. Compost and recycle as much as possible. Keep hazardous materials out of landfill.

To maximize results, it is important to follow all three of these guidelines – neglecting one will reduce the effectiveness of the other. So if you want to take a bite out of your utility bills, remember that a building includes more that just walls, roofs, doors and windows – it also includes the people who live and work within it. How each part of a building interacts with each other (including residents and staff) will define just how sustainable – and cost-effective- your operations will be.

Looking for more useful tips and tools? Visit the GLOBE website to get your FREE copy of the Sustainability Toolbox. Download here

Crude oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill washes ashore in Orange Beach, Ala., on June 12. (Dave Martin/Associated Press)

It is “unlikely that an accidental surface or subsurface oil spill would occur” and if it did “….no significant adverse impacts are expected.” That statement was given in February 2009 before BP received approval to begin drilling the Deepwater Horizon well. Now the whole world watches as the disastrous effects of this oil spill unfold in the Gulf of Mexico.

It appears to me not such an unpredictable outcome and yet we continue to react with disbelief every time the unthinkable happens. Technological innovation has been the hallmark of our modern world bringing with it all kinds of life improving advancements. We remain ever confident in next year’s innovation to solve the problems of last year’s inventions. However, as events continue to unfold in the Gulf of Mexico, the cost of disregarding the impact of our behaviours on the planet and placing blind faith in ingenuity to solve all problems is becoming increasingly clear.

An exhausted oil-covered brown pelican sits in a pool of oil along Queen Bess Island Pelican Rookery, 3 miles (4.8 km) northeast of Grand Isle, Louisiana June 5, 2010. Sean Gardner/REUTERS

To date over 380 million litres of oil have spilled into the Gulf, threatening marine mammals, fish and birds, and coastal wetlands. Over one billion dollars has been spent so far in trying to stop the leak and the costs to commercial and recreational fishing industries have not yet been included in the tally.

Our failure to apply a precautionary approach when making decisions about offshore drilling reveals our dependence on non-renewable fossil fuels and the extent to which we will sacrifice common sense in its pursuit.

Instead of the risky business of looking for oil in ever more dangerous situations how about we just use less energy? Perhaps not as sexy as a massive oil rig, but surprisingly effective when we all do just a little more to use a little less. Take public transportation or maybe use your bike or why not just walk to the corner store? You don’t even have to commit to do this all the time just substitute these methods once a week for a time when you used to drive. Close off the lights when you leave the room. Use a space bar for electronic equipment and turn it off when not in use. Or consider participating in incentive programs like the Renewable Energy Initiative which make it easy to start reducing our reliance on non-renewable resources.

For more ideas about how you can make energy conservation part of your operations, check out GLOBE’s Sustainability Toolbox launching soon on our website. Conservation can be remarkably effective and best of all there will never be any negative consequences. Ever.

I was fortunate to be able to chair a session at the ONPHA conference on Sunday entitled Recruitment and Retention: Changing the “Image” of Social Housing. Our presenters for this session were excellent, but the real stars of the show were the conference participants that asked some great questions and offered insightful feedback.

Presenters from left: Neville McGuire, Michael Buzzelli, Merv Huges and Dave Colangelo

One of the best ideas was to establish an undergraduate housing essay competition. Not only would this motivate students at the undergraduate level to think and write about housing, it would also be an excellent public relations opportunity for a sector that could use a bit of good press. A bursary for students in financial need studying housing could also work in the same way. For the past three years SHSC has helped to fund and manage a research internship program for MA and PhD level students. You can see their work here.

A number of participants also mentioned the importance of involving tenants in the operation of their own housing. Who better to manage housing than someone who knows the place from the inside? This is a model that has quite a bit of traction in the UK (eg. Tenant Participation Advisory Service, Tenant Services Authority) and something that we could definitely use more of in Canada.

Fittingly, the conference wrapped up with awards for a group of tenants that had made outstanding contributions where they live. One of GLOBE’s Community Champions, Lynn Wood from Richview Residence, received an award.

If you have some examples of how tenants have made where they live a great place to live, or if you have ideas on how we can further engage tenants in the provision of housing, post a comment!