Green Collar Jobs Training Program Update (7/16/09)

Today was a fairly simple day being that the offline sustainability workers had a "day off." With no worked planned, there was really no reason for workers to come into the office or waste personal gas money just to get into Hilo. Also the hours the workers would be available to work made it difficult because trainees also had to attend a meeting set up the the Hawai‘i Workforce Development office. Because the program is about in end in a week, the Workforce Development advisers gave trainees a class on how to increase their success in finding, applying, and interviewing for a job. Many of the trainees will be going back to school when this the Green Collar Jobs Training Programs ends, and given the current economy some will also have to work jobs at the same time. It's difficult, but they will take with them a new and improved list of skills and knowledge that they either gained or refined as the result of the Green Collar Jobs Training Program!

Although some of the workers did have the "day off", other workers, a.k.a. the online sustainability workers, still had to come into the office and continue daily task of updating websites, writing blogs, and client work. It's just another day in the office, but they can't complain because it's work nonetheless and work is very hard to find in this current economy.

Green Collar Jobs Training Program Update (7/15/09)

Today was a very difficult day in terms of work for the offline sustainability trainees, basically because there was no work. Joe Bernade is injured and can not come into work to be a worksite supervisor. What was a day planned for work at the Pacific Aquaculture and Coastal Resource Center became a day to brainstorm other sustainable work opportunities. It was very difficult because the Pacific Aquaculture and Coastal Resource Center was the fallback plan if the Earthship and greenhouse plans fell through because of gas money, so workers were very frustrated at the unfortunate events and even more disappointed when they had to end their work day early. However, before they left they did take some time to brainstorm other work options. Some of the ideas included working for Hawai‘i Parks and Recreation to help clean up and maintain the local beaches. Other plans included networking with friends and family who might need labor workers. So far nothing has been booked, but phone calls and contacts are being made. If you have or know of someone who could use the Green Collar Jobs Training Program trainees feel free to contact us with your proposition.

Green Collar Jobs Training Program Update (7/14/09)

Today, the Green Collar Jobs Training Program did more work on Mark Hansen's Earthship home. There they continued to mix the mixture of cement, cinder, and dirt to make the wall foundation, very similar to what they did yesterday.

Meanwhile, the Green Collar Jobs Training Program online trainees continued to document and promote the training program and its efforts on the Internet.

Trainees helping mark build the earthship walls.

One of the first people to foremen of the Earthship design is Mike Reynolds the found of Earthship Biotecture. His design began sometime in the 1970s when we wanted to create a sustainable home that would do all of the following:

1. It would be made out of recycled and indigenous materials, whenever possible.
2. It would rely on natural energy sources and be off the grid.
3. It would be economically feasible for the average person and would required no specialized constructions skills to build.

This design has become very popular in the last decade and there is even a housing development in Taos, New Mexico that is entirely composed of earthship homes. It's inahbitants live with a strong sense of sustainability. They produce most of their energy (solar panels, etc.), harvest their own water, treat their own sewage, manufacture bio-diesel, and grow majority of their own food. Because their homes and buildings are earthships they also recycle and utilized much of the "trash" that other communities throw out.

Inside one of the Earthship huts.

In 2004, the first eartship was built in Europe. It was built by volunteers of the SCI charity and opened in Kinghorn Loch in Fife, Scotland.

There are many advantages, as well as disadvanages to having an earthship home, but overall it's an amazing concept that supports the push for global sustainability. Everything is a learning process, so you can be sure that in the years to come, earthship designs will become even more advanced and efficient in reducing the human footprint.

Green Collar Jobs Training Program Update (7/13/09)

Today the Green Collar Jobs Training Program offline trainees did another change up and headed back down to Nanawale to work on Mark Hansen's earthship again. Construction progress is going really well with most of the wall foundation up and the windows in. Mark is already starting to fill in the crevices with the mix of cinder, dirt, and cement.

Mark Hansen filling the crevices of the wall with a mix of cement, dirt, and cinder.

Meanwhile, workers continued to pack the white bags with the cement mix and stack them upon the previous laid bags laced with barbed wire for added support.

Trainees working on the earthship walls.

Just to re-emphasize earthship are affordable, sustainable home options. They are made of locally found materials, and are strong enough to withstand hurricanes, floods, earthquakes and pesky termites. Although they may not look the most esthetically pleasing they save a lot of energy, and in most cases can designed to meet the owners want and needs. They will also outlast the life a normal home, making it appealing to those who want to keep their homes for generations to come. Again the site to look up more information about earthships is www.earthship.org.

The online workers continued to work on blogging, and are waiting to be updated on the status of client work. Trainees are also working on compiling the accomplishments of the program into a format that will be easily understood and attractive to individuals and business that might want to support this training program in the future.

Green Collar Jobs Training Program (7/13/09)

It's the beginning of week 5, and the days are flying by. There is still much to do though, in terms of what needs to be done before the Green Collar Job Training Program ends on July 24, 2009. The greenhouse in Mountain View still needs to be finished, along with furnishings of the tree house "classroom". Offline worker are going where the clients need them so they haven't really had much time to accomplish the tentative task set in the beginning of week 1. Similarly, the online workers are figuring out how to deal with client work with the set of skills they have had or have learned through the duration of the training program, as well as continue daily tasks of adding daily blog post updates, photos, and videos.

Green Collar Jobs Training Program Update (7/10/09)

In the last day of week 4 members of the Green Collar Training Program spent their day at the Hawai‘i Innovation Center in Hilo to get evaluated. Every two weeks the Hawaii State Workforce Development makes the program advisor sit down with the trainees to evaluate their past work. This allows the trainees to learn what they are doing well, and what they can do to improve. It also allows the trainees to get their paychecks!

After the long and tedious task the work day went on with the offline crew going to Garden exchange in Hilo to get an estimate on the price of plants for the Greenhouse at the Green Collar Technologies "classroom" in mountain view. Even though the Green Collar Jobs Training Program doesn't have many finances, it was a good idea to do this estimate to give workers an idea of what the goals are in terms of what plants they should grow in the greenhouse and what their goals are in terms of the funds needed to start and maintain a greenhouse.

Meanwhile, the online sustainability crew worked back at the Hawai‘i Innovation Center completing the everyday tasks of blogging, video editing, and client work.