Green
Building
Green Building ProTech and the Northern California Laborers
Union have established the Green Technology Contractors Association
(GTCA). The purpose of the GTCA is to provide and organize Construction
Craft contractors and laborers skilled in the means and methods
required to build green construction projects.
A new economy
is rapidly emerging based on environmentally sustainable or “green”
technologies. What is becoming evident though, is that there
is a shortage of labor trained in specific “green” skills. The
following examples and quotes illustrate that many are realizing
that there is an urgent need for skilled green labor and contractors:
The Green Jobs Act of 2007, which passed the House this August,
authorizes up to $125 million in funding to establish national
and state job training programs, administered by the U.S. Department
of Labor, to help address job shortages that are impairing growth
in green industries, such as energy efficient buildings and construction,
renewable electric power, energy efficient vehicles, and biofuels
development.
A 2004 UC Berkeley report, “Putting Renewables to
Work: How Many Jobs Can the Clean Energy Industry Generate?”
states that the renewable industry produces more jobs per megawatt
of electricity generated in construction, manufacturing, installation,
operations and management and fuel processing than the fossil
fuel industries. With a potential 20 percent national renewable
energy standard, that could equal 188,000 new jobs by 2020.
“It’s
about jobs. The more government requires buildings to be more
energy efficient, the more work there will be retrofitting buildings
all across America with solar panels, insulation and other weatherizing
materials. Those are manual-labor jobs that can’t be outsourced.”
Thomas Friedman, in an October 17, 2007 NY Times editorial titled
“The Green Collar Solution”
The GTCA is developing a series of training courses for laborers,
as well as construction supervisors and managers. Topics will
cover green building construction methods and procedures, LEED
and other green rating systems, and the requirements that need
to be met on a construction project to be certified according
to a given rating system.
Additional training topics will include:
• Green Building - the Contractor’s Role
• Green
Construction Methods
• Green Building – Building Codes and Permitting
• Energy and Water Efficiency
• Material Selection and Procurement
• Indoor Air Quality Issues
• Building Commissioning
• Management
of Construction Waste
• LEED Documentation Requirements
The GTCA will also facilitate labor relations and collective
bargaining
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 As
both a licensed General Contractor and a wildlife Biologist/Ecologist,
I understand what it takes to meet discharge permit requirements
while maintaining construction project schedules. Although
we have tried other systems in the past, we now use ProTech
exclusively. ProTech always incorporates Best Available Technology
to meet the California Regional Water Quality Control Board's
requirements, and at substantial savings compared to other
systems.  |
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George Visger
Principle Resource
Ecologist/Storm Water Manager
Visger & Associates, Inc. |
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