G REEN T RAINING C ATEGORIES
We categorized green training content into five areas covering energy, the environment and other. The table below (Table X) illustrates the categories and green
training content areas. We asked what type of training prepares students for a green career? How likely is it that a course leads to a green job? Our
interpretation is in Table X below where we answer the questions by listing actual class learning outcomes. If content could appear in all categories, we use grey
ink rather than black. After categorizing green training content, we rank it on a percent basis in the following sub section.
Table X: Green Training Categories
Green Training Categories
1. Increase [teach topics
about] energy efficiency
2. Produce [teach topics
about] renewable
energy











Apply regulation/codes
Use industry math,
terminology tools
Obtain industry
certification
Design, implement or
advocate for water or
energy efficient or
conservation attitudes,
actions
Quantify and evaluate
impact of buildings on
the natural environment
Calculate usage, cost and
savings of energy, water,
other resources
Use energy resources
efficiently
Perform building
commissioning
Decrease energy
footprint




Apply regulation/codes
Use industry math,
terminology tools
Obtain industry
certification
Design, implement or
advocate for strategies
to produce, supply,
distribute or use
renewable energy
Explain the
dis/advantages of
traditional and
alternative fuels or crops
such as: biofuel,
biomass, cogeneration,
fuel cells, geothermal,
hydroelectric, methane
capture, ocean, solar,
tidal or wave
Design or repair hybrid
vehicles
3. Prevent, reduce, or
mitigate environmental
degradation












Apply regulation/codes
Use industry math,
terminology tools
Preserve, conserve or
minimize use of or
impact on habitat,
ecosystems,
environment or natural
resources
Safeguard water,
ecosystems or natural
environment
Reduce, reuse or recycle
“waste” materials
Prevent pollution
Prevent or minimize
human impacts
Eliminate or reduce
hazardous materials
Abate lead
Prevent wildland fire
Apply Precautionary
Principle
Eliminate or decrease
use of toxic chemicals
4. Clean up and restore
the natural environment
5. Educate, consult, and
provide other services
that support 1-4













Apply regulation/codes
Use industry math,
terminology tools
Restore or increase
ecological or
environmental health,
biodiversity or integrity
Rehabilitate or restore
soil, land, ecosystems,
habitats
Reuse, recycle, restore
materials
Use recycled or “waste”
materials in new ways
Clean up hazardous sites,
materials
Restore brownfields
Manage water,
rainwater, wastewater,
greywater or stormwater
on-site
Implement stormwater
mitigation (e.g. erosion)
Use phytoremediation,
bioremediation





Apply regulation/codes
Use industry math,
terminology tools
Increase environmental
awareness, leadership or
management of
environmental problems,
responsibility, justice,
politics, ethics, literature
Design or implement
field sampling methods
Evaluate human impact
on the environment
Describe environmental
impact of buildings,
transportation, sprawl,
population growth,
urbanization,
globalization or
stratification
Collect, monitor or
evaluate environmental
data (e.g. carbon
accounting, ecofootprint,
risk assessment)
1. Increase energy
efficiency








Install efficient
appliances such as
WaterSense or Energy
Star
Fine tune emissions
control and mechanical
efficiencies
Streamline practices
processes or actions that
decrease amount of
energy or fuel used (e.g.
transportation planning
& logistics)
Perform weatherization
Use or promote
programmable
thermostats or irrigation
systems
Apply embodied water
or embodied energy
concepts
Perform building
retrofits to install water
or energy saving devices
Implement new or
alternative uses of water
to save water or energy
2. Produce [teach topics
about] renewable
energy


Evaluate or explain
qualitative and
quantitative impacts of
non/renewable energy
sources, distribution or
uses
3. Prevent, reduce, or
mitigate environmental
degradation















Install efficient
appliances
Develop land with lowor zero-impact
Apply climate- or Ecoliteracy
Explain the interaction
between water quality,
quantity, availability
Deconstruct buildings
and reuse materials
Re-engineer practices,
processes, products
Engage in
environmentally
conscious design,
manufacturing, shipping
Empower environmental
engineering
Apply conservation
biology principles
Explain soil structure,
function, biogeochemical
cycles
Perform activities that
decrease emissions
Use water more than
once; use alternative
sources of water
Ensure air quality
Remove, reuse, recharge
refrigerant
Build using natural, local,
appropriate materials
4. Clean up and restore
the natural environment











Restore buildings, autos,
environments, habitats,
communities
Clean-up pollution
Compost
Promote local
agriculture, gardening,
pruning or otherwise
stewarding land
Control pests naturally
(e.g. pesticide-free or
Integrated Pest
Management)
Plant using bio-dynamic
or bio-intensive ways
Decrease quantity of
low-quality water
flowing into water
bodies or over land
Increase air quality
Create closed loop
systems
Bee keeping
5. Educate, consult, and
provide other services
that support 1-4














Use carbon markets
Discuss food growing,
transportation,
processing and waste
management systems
Discuss effect of
technology or other
sociological issues
related to environment
(e.g. electronic waste,
genetic modification)
Use green technologies
Engage in local or
organic agriculture
Design or advocate for
public/mass transit
Design, install &
maintain landscapes to
minimize environmental
impacts
Explain limits to growth
Advocate for or market
efficiency practices
Apply climate or ecoliteracy concepts
Explain legal and social
aspects of resource or
wildlife management
Study community
ecology
Describe personal and
professional
environmental impact
Eco-tourism
P ERCENT G REEN
Now that we have categorized green training content, we ranked it on a percent basis. In other words, how green is the class? First, review course name,
description, learning outcomes, content and total clock hours. Next, estimate how much of the total content is green. One method is to use a ratio of green to
non-green learning outcomes. For example, if the Introduction to Chemistry II class has 10 learning outcomes, one of which is green then the class is 10% green
(1/10 =10%). So, if the class meets for a total of 44 hours per term, then there are 4.4 hours of green content. Calculation methodology was not prescribed. Each
college estimated the percent green using their preferred method. After ranking with a percent, we applied a Likert scale (see Table X below) to move from a
quantitative estimate of percent green to a qualitative description; or vice versa.
Table X: Determination of Percent Green
%
5
10
15
20
How likely is it that the
training will lead to a
green job or "green"
an existing job?
Sample course name
Technical Mathematics
Introduction to Chemistry II
Electrical & Fuel Systems
Slightly likely
25
Dendrology
30
35
40
Somewhat likely
Energy & Resource Technology
45
50
55
Likely
Chemistry in Context
Irrigation/Drainage Practices
60
65
70
Moderately likely
Forestry Perspectives
75
80
85
90
95
100
Description/ learning outcome/ content
Calculate solar energy availability by using angles of sunlight at various times/year
Biofuel and green chemistry content
Drive ability improvement to reduce emissions and fuel consumption
Identification, classification and distribution of plant
communities (tree, shrub, forbs and grass)
Science, management and terminology of traditional electrical generation and
challenges of integrating renewables
Air quality, ozone depletion, climate change, renewable energy systems, water
quality
History …forest regions, …ecology, measure &management, forest products …
importance of forest resources other than wood fiber… employment …
Field Studies PNW Forests
Very likely
Resource Measurement
Extremely likely
Wildlife Conservation
Conservation Biology
Will most
certainly
Solar Panel Installation
Measure & quantify natural resources including …timber,…wildlife and fisheries
habitat, …forage production …, and sampling wildlife populations
Conduct site survey, design and install residential grid-tied photovoltaic system, use
industry software and tools
G LOSSARY
Emissions control results in higher performance and efficiency of fuel, energy, water
Eco- or climate-literacy is [define]. Students are more likely to steward land with knowledge of and appreciation for one’s “place” (environment, bioregion).
 Bioremediation
Stormwater management / On-site stormwater treatment: Increased habitat, water quality, water availability, decreased erosion, pollution.
building commissioning Process of ensuring building systems, like HVAC, are functioning properly; important for energy efficiency
embodied energy
embodied water
Precautionary Principle
Closed loop system Opposite of take-make-waste (see: thestoryofstuff.com; author Bob Doppelt); no “waste,” only new inputs.
 Develop land using low- or zero-impact (e.g. see Zero Emissions Research Initiative) methods such as….
The impact of buildings on the natural environment are resp. for over 10% of world freshwater w/d, use 25% of world wood harvest & 40 % of material & energy
flows, 54% of all energy use, , 25% of all CFCs emissions, 50% of fossil fuel consumption, while bldg construction industry create 20-40% total municipal solid
waste stream. Putting these facts into economic terms allows one to compare traditional & green building.