2008 Woodie Awards
Green job market flooded by global warming
by Matt Gallo
Issue date: 4/10/07 Section: News
Standing at the threshold of the real world, students often dream of making a difference in the world and gaining wealth immediately out of college. Students can achieve both those life goals, as the growing concern over global warming has more U.S. colleges offering careers focused on saving the environment.
Global warming, which may eventually lead to rapid increase in temperatures and astronomical flooding, has caught the attention of college students who are now seeking careers in alternative energy.
Energy conversion professor Steven Hegedus said classes in alternative energy are becoming popular among students from all sorts of fields, adding innovative capacity and further breakthroughs in research.
"With global warming becoming more of a concern every day, a new-found emphasis has been created in this field," Hegedus said.
In the technical fields, careers such as electrical and mechanical engineering, wind energy and solar electricity are gaining more interest from seniors and graduate students, he said.
"This is a very exciting time to be getting involved in the area of safe energy," Hegedus said. "After years of low investment and interest, political and public awareness is growing drastically."
The number of safe energy classes has increased in the past five to 10 years, he said. The university continues to offer classes in a variety of majors. Interdisciplinary classes on off-shore wind energy in the College of Marine Studies, renewable energy in the College of Engineering and classes in the Energy and Environmental Policy Department about sustainable energy systems are currently offered.
University of California Berkeley energy professor Dan Kammen stated in an e-mail message that enrollment in the energy and society classes offered has grown from 80 students in 2005 to an expected 150 students in 2007. Since 2000, the Department of Energy and Resources Group at U.C. Berkeley has tripled due to increasing global warming concerns.
Global warming, which may eventually lead to rapid increase in temperatures and astronomical flooding, has caught the attention of college students who are now seeking careers in alternative energy.
Energy conversion professor Steven Hegedus said classes in alternative energy are becoming popular among students from all sorts of fields, adding innovative capacity and further breakthroughs in research.
"With global warming becoming more of a concern every day, a new-found emphasis has been created in this field," Hegedus said.
In the technical fields, careers such as electrical and mechanical engineering, wind energy and solar electricity are gaining more interest from seniors and graduate students, he said.
"This is a very exciting time to be getting involved in the area of safe energy," Hegedus said. "After years of low investment and interest, political and public awareness is growing drastically."
The number of safe energy classes has increased in the past five to 10 years, he said. The university continues to offer classes in a variety of majors. Interdisciplinary classes on off-shore wind energy in the College of Marine Studies, renewable energy in the College of Engineering and classes in the Energy and Environmental Policy Department about sustainable energy systems are currently offered.
University of California Berkeley energy professor Dan Kammen stated in an e-mail message that enrollment in the energy and society classes offered has grown from 80 students in 2005 to an expected 150 students in 2007. Since 2000, the Department of Energy and Resources Group at U.C. Berkeley has tripled due to increasing global warming concerns.
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