Does protecting the environment have to come at the expense of jobs?
There is no reason why protecting the environment has to cost jobs, either in America or around the world. For years people have been arguing that smart business practices that are conservationist in nature are actually good for business. I am definitely starting to see this effect more and more in my daily life.
More and more businesses I pass on the street are using the word “Green” as a marketing slogan. “Green” has basically become synonymous with being environmentally friendly. As the public opinion changes it is becoming popular to do things and buy product that are good for the environment. People are creatures that are heavily influenced by their peers and tend to be followers. Studies have shown that people are more likely to engage in a specific behavior if they believe that their neighbors or friends are engaging in it. As a result, the more the media advertises that people are doing things to change their lifestyles to protect the environment, the more other people are going to want to also do so.
As a result, people are perhaps already starting to frequent businesses and buy products that they believe are helping the environment, or not damaging it as much. This is leading to business advertising their sustainable business practices. These advertisements are actually resulting in higher sales for the company, and as a result they are starting to implement better business practices that are good for the environment because it is what the consumer wants.
This actually creates new jobs for people in producing products that are environmentally friendly. There have been hundreds of start up companies created with the intention of getting into the sustainability market. Solar and wind companies have seen record growth, which means more jobs for the economy.
In the building industry it is actually even good for the bottom line to use sustainable building practices. Companies that are building new structures that they want to have a LEED, or other government certification, for sustainability are finding that some of the practices they need to use when it comes to recycling building materials and producing less waste on the construction site are actually saving them money. This makes them transfer these practices from construction sites where they are trying to be sustainable, to sites where the client might not have specified that they want construction done in a sustainable way. This means that not only is it good for the environment, but it is good for the economy as well.
Protecting the environment might in the short term eliminate specific jobs and hurt specific industries, but those jobs and industries are simply being replaced by new jobs in other sectors with companies that market towards being environmentally friendly.
