Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
CHAPTER
5
Hot Jobs
The great economic revolutions in history occur when new communica-
tions technologies converge with new energy systems.
—
JEREMY RIFKIN
F
ROMEDUCATORSTOWARHEROESANDFROMROCKSTARSTO
everydaypeople,Americans
are reaping the benefits of the Solar Ascent and benefitting from the multitude of jobs it's
quickly and steadily creating.
TakeJustinCox,abloodyherotome.Hejumpsoutofairplanesataltitudessohighthat
he's required to wear breathing gear, and then he swoops down diagonally like a flying
squirrel at seemingly impossible speeds toward a drop zone, pulls his chute at the heart-
stopping last minute, shoots upward, and then floats down to land precisely on his target.
He was a US Army Special Forces operative on two tours of Iraq before he suffered a
serious head injury from a roadside bomb. Having sat on a barstool across from him and
listened to his stories, I know he's been through things I'm glad I've never had to deal
with, and it's clear he's proved his valor and loyalty to the United States many times over.
Justin is one of Sungevity's Southern California field managers, which means he over-
sees our installation operations in that large market. Every day he drives around in an or-
ange Prius, checking the safety of the rooftop crews and ensuring that we're doing high-
quality work and that our customers are satisfied. He works tirelessly because we're in-
stallingsolarsystemsonalotofhomesinthelargeareahecovers,whichincludesOrange
County and extends all the way down to the border with Mexico. His wife told me that
she's happy, even though he spends long hours on the road, because he's safe now and
doing something just as meaningful to him as his work in the army. Justin told me that he
loves his job because he can see his family and take care of them, yet, as he has said, “I
am still fighting for energy security.”
Justinisjustoneexampleofthethousandsofpeoplewhoaregettingintosolarcareers.
Indeed, many veterans like him are coming home from foreign wars and finding a place
in solar enterprises that use their skills and engage them in a growth industry that's doing
