November 1, 2007
Environmental Education Key to State's Future
by
Daniel Hecht

As author and energy expert Paul Gipe joked recently, “We need three things to transition to renewable energy: education, education, and education.”

The Governor’s Commission on Climate Change concluded that leveraging the resources of Vermont’s colleges and universities would be crucial to dealing with global warming. The Workforce Development Commission and the Commission on the Future of Economic Development have echoed the theme.

It’s not surprising. In the coming years, fossil energy depletion and global warming will drastically change the world. We’ll derive energy from different sources and we’ll be on a strict low-carbon diet. Farmers will be adapting to climate changes and growing energy crops. Our houses will need to be retrofitted for energy efficiency. The job market will demand very different skills.

Consider just a few indicators: In Canada, the environmental industries sector is growing twice as fast as the rest of the economy according to market surveys conducted by Eco Canada. In Vermont, Vermont Biofuels Association surveys show biodiesel use increased by 400% in 2006. The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers just reported that 2007 sales of alternative fuel vehicles are up by 27% over 2006; sales of hybrids up by 48%.

Just as auto mechanics will need training to fix these high-tech cars, college students will need educations that prepare them to confront unprecedented environmental challenges and find jobs in this new economy.

In anticipation, institutions nationwide are expanding their environment-related programs. Of Vermont’s 22 colleges and universities, 17 now offer environmental studies concentrations; many have made exceptionally deep commitments to green education. Sterling College, Green Mountain College, UVM, Vermont Law School, Middlebury College, VTC, Marlboro: All have launched ambitious campus sustainability initiatives, new programs, and novel community partnerships.

Importantly, academic institutions play a double role in the greening of Vermont. They not only provide research, new technologies, and future professionals; they are themselves a significant enterprise segment. Environmental programs take in millions in tuition dollars and employ hundreds of faculty and staff; pilot projects and community initiatives spark economic activity.

A robust environmental education sector, synergistically linked to the green business sector, can do more than attract tuition revenues. It can prepare graduates for roles in the fastest-growing area of the economy, developing a “green collar” workforce. A vital green enterprise sector, strengthened by academic partnerships, can help retain graduates and slow the dangerous aging of Vermont’s population. It can steer economic development toward innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainability.

The sector’s potentials are suggested by Vermont Council on Rural Development’s report on rural energy, which projects that renewable energy development and related activities could create 11,500 new jobs in the next 10 years.

Students will need the right education to fill those jobs. And they won’t need only scientific and technical educations. In fact, Canadian surveys show that the two environmental skill-sets most in demand are policy, legislation and regulations (needed by 36% of environmental employers); and environmental communications and public awareness (needed by 24%). Also needed are environmental education skills (23%) and sustainable development planning (21%). Humanities and social sciences professionals will be the boots on the ground, working to incorporate technological innovations into our culture, our daily lives, our communities.

To explore these factors, Vermont Environmental Consortium will present a major conference, “Education in the New Environmental Economy” on Saturday, Nov. 3, at Norwich University, Northfield. An all-star cast of speakers – and the audience -- will consider how businesses, agencies, and communities can partner with colleges for mutual benefit. They’ll present the latest data on the green economy and project trends. They’ll assess the impact of global warming and fossil energy depletion on society, the economy, and education. Finally, they’ll brainstorm ways institutions can work together to strengthen programs and develop the Vermont brand of green education, a sector of economic opportunity in its own right.

This event is for educators, business people, environmental professionals, administrators, and policymakers who want to help shape Vermont’s future. For more information, visit www.VECgreenvalley.org.

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Daniel Hecht is a novelist and executive director of Vermont Environmental Consortium.

 

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