Getting Off my Ass for Obama

After watching the speech and video describing President-elect Obama's American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan, I decided to do my small part to support the effort. Here is the e-mail I sent to Senators Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker and to Representative Gene Taylor:

Dear Senator Cochran,  

As a Mississippi resident and state employee at the University of Southern Mississippi I wanted to voice my support of President-elect Obama's American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan. This is where I want my tax dollar spent; retooling America to be a leader in sustainability while fixing our crumbling infrastructure and creating millions of jobs. Know that I speak for many 30 somethings who believe that green is not only good for the planet but good for the American economy. This is the time for us, the greatest nation on earth, to lead. This is the time to show the world that we are the innovators, able to harness the collective good of humanity to revive the ailing world economy and save mother earth in the process. At a more local level, the state of Mississippi needs new jobs especially with events such as the unfortunate postponement of the planned Toyota Prius plant. Please support the President-elect's plan and let's move our state, our nation, and the world towards a brighter future.  

Sincerely,  

Matt Stambaugh

Would you like to do the same? If so, visit senate.gov and house.gov to find contact info for your senators and representative.

Green Collar Careers

This time I'm not commenting on any articles or linking to any web sites. I'm just gonna ask a few real-life questions about how we see green affecting our careers, if at all. Here goes:

1. Is your dream job a "green-collar" job of any sort?

It doesn't have to be working for Greenpeace or anything, but does that sweet job you've been keeping your eye on for a while have any element that contributes in a meaningful way to the green movement? What about your current job? My current job...well, not so much (although we do build a lot of EnergyStar rated homes that are quite energy efficient). My dream job, however, would be to lead large-scale green/sustainable building projects all over the world. I think that would be a meaningful contribution.

2. What are you willing to sacrifice to land a green-collar job?

Two years studying for a master's? Taking a pay cut to apprentice with a well-known green company? Giving up the relative security of a corporate job to start up your own company? Right now, I'm in the process of deciding whether I wanna enter a Project Management MBA program at the University of Texas at Dallas. It would give me a better shot at landing a project manager position,which would give me a better shot at leading green projects worldwide. However, it's extremely expensive and time-consuming. How much do I really wanna be a Greenius?

3. What job sector should you be in right now to put yourself in prime position for jumping on an amazing green opportunity...the Green Google, or the Green iPod?

Would you be willing to start putting things in motion right now to get into that industry? Our generation jusy barely missed out on the career and investment opportunities of the IT Revolutuon of the 90's. This time around, with the Green Revolution getting ready to ignite in the U.S., our generation is in prime position to play the game. But, we have to be on the field to play the game. Can't be on the sidelines!

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