Your Questions About Green Living

Design Engineering or Energy Mangement jobs in Australia?

Hi all,
I am currently looking to move to Australia with my partner and was wondering if anyone had any advice on design engineering or energy management jobs over there? What is the market currently like?

Education wise I have a BA in Product Design and an MSC in Design Engineering, plus training in energy management.

I have 4 years experience working as a design engineer for 2 firms, designing prefabricated cooling equipment.
As well as the above I have a wealth of experience in renewable technology and energy management; heat pumps, solar panel etc.

What does anyone think? Would there be jobs for me? Any particular areas worth considering?

Is the Department of Energy doing a good job of meeting its goals as set forth in its mission statement?

1.In your opinion, is the Department of Energy doing a good job of meeting its goals as set forth in its mission statement? Why or why not?

2. Do you agree with President Obama’s policies to reduce dependency on foreign energy and increase domestic production of renewable energy? Why or why not?

3. What are you doing to decrease your personal consumption of energy?

4. Do you think our nation is doing enough to address the growing energy needs of our population? What energy policy do you feel is best for our nation?

Obama has promised tons of green jobs, how is this program working for California?

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123336500319935517.html?mod=djemEditorialPage

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was all smiles in 2006 when he signed into law the toughest anti-global-warming regulations of any state. Mr. Schwarzenegger and his green supporters boasted that the regulations would steer California into a prosperous era of green jobs, renewable energy, and technological leadership. Instead, since 2007 — in anticipation of the new mandates — California has led the nation in job losses.

The regulations created a cap-and-trade system, similar to proposed federal global-warming measures, by limiting the CO2 that utilities, trucking companies and other businesses can emit, and imposed steep new taxes on companies that exceed the caps. Since energy is an input in everything that’s produced, this will raise the cost of production inside California’s borders.

Now, as the Golden State prepares to implement this regulatory scheme, employers are howling. It’s become clear to nearly everyone that the plan’s backers have underestimated its negative impact and exaggerated the benefits. “We’ve been sold a false bill of goods,” is how Republican Assemblyman Roger Niello, who has been the GOP’s point man on environmental issues in the legislature, put it to me.

The environmental plan was built on the notion that imposing some $23 billion of new taxes and fees on households (through higher electricity bills) and employers will cost the economy nothing, while also reducing greenhouse gases. Almost no one believes that anymore except for the five members of the California Air Resources Board (CARB). This is the state’s air-quality regulator, which voted unanimously in December to stick with the cap-and-trade system despite the recession. CARB justified its go-ahead by issuing what almost all experts agree is a rigged study on the economic impact of the cap-and-trade system. The study concludes that the plan “will not only significantly reduce California’s greenhouse gas emissions, but will also have a net positive effect on California’s economic growth through 2020.”

So now that we have seen how the “GREEN” jobs program works, why do we want to force this issue?
Meanwhile, the state is losing jobs, a lot of them. California’s unemployment rate hit 9.3% in December, up from 4.9% in December 2006. There are now 1.5 million Californians out of work. The state has the fourth-highest housing foreclosure rate in the nation, has lost more businesses than any state in recent years, and is facing a $40 billion deficit. With cap and trade firmly in place, the economic situation is only likely to get worse.

Other states are plundering the Golden State’s industries by convincing businesses to pick up stakes and move out before the cap-and-trade earthquake hits. Governors and Washington politicians who want to reduce their “carbon footprint,” but are worried about the more immediate crises of cascading unemployment, unbalanced budgets, and the housing-market collapse, would be wise not to follow California’s lead. Green policies have a tendency to push states into the red.
Meanwhile, the state is losing jobs, a lot of them. California’s unemployment rate hit 9.3% in December, up from 4.9% in December 2006. There are now 1.5 million Californians out of work. The state has the fourth-highest housing foreclosure rate in the nation, has lost more businesses than any state in recent years, and is facing a $40 billion deficit. With cap and trade firmly in place, the economic situation is only likely to get worse.

Other states are plundering the Golden State’s industries by convincing businesses to pick up stakes and move out before the cap-and-trade earthquake hits. Governors and Washington politicians who want to reduce their “carbon footprint,” but are worried about the more immediate crises of cascading unemployment, unbalanced budgets, and the housing-market collapse, would be wise not to follow California’s lead. Green policies have a tendency to push states into the red.

Is Obama’s “green jobs” plan going to end up the same way it did in California: a complete failure?

http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB123336500319935517-lMyQjAxMDI5MzMzMTMzNjE1Wj.html

“Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was all smiles in 2006 when he signed into law the toughest anti-global-warming regulations of any state. Mr. Schwarzenegger and his green supporters boasted that the regulations would steer California into a prosperous era of green jobs, renewable energy, and technological leadership. Instead, since 2007 — in anticipation of the new mandates — California has led the nation in job losses.

The regulations created a cap-and-trade system, similar to proposed federal global-warming measures, by limiting the CO2 that utilities, trucking companies and other businesses can emit, and imposed steep new taxes on companies that exceed the caps. Since energy is an input in everything that’s produced, this will raise the cost of production inside California’s borders.”
madd……….but the general plan that was implemented in California in 2006 is very similar to what Obama is talking about doing on a national scale.

In your opinion what are a few ways jobs can be created?

I’m just curious as to what many think about our current economic situation. Some believe that this stimulus bill will do nothing but create more national debt, and it won’t create jobs. However some have faith in it. If more jobs are going to be created I believe we need to have renewable energy, and start assessing the damage done at the root which is the value of our money. What do you think the key is to creating more jobs?
By the way, the stimulus bill that was just passed is worth $838 Billion.
Genie: I think you are onto something. The infrastructure is damaged and without the rebuilding, there can be no job growth.