Employmentweb_low

epilogue: the econoMic crisis
feeding major rivers in china and other populous parts of asia). an
economic and social system is subordinate, not super-ordinate, to
the biosphere. in a world facing the exhaustion of its finite resources,
environmental degradation on a hitherto unimagined scale and
catastrophic humanity-induced climate change, the dominant model
of economic growth (based on a presumption of limitless resources
and measures of wealth/production/consumption that take no
account of sustainability, environmental impacts or scarce resources)
needs to be fundamentally refashioned. The refashioning will need to
entail a sustainable model of economic growth and social
advancement as well as associated changes to food production,
manufacturing, energy generation, transportation and urban living. it
will also require changes to the dominant business model and the
education of management, which privilege “shareholder value” and
short-term profits over the building of long-term wealth and a more
collaborative and mutually beneficial engagement with workers and
the community. The economic crisis has begun the process of
questioning neo-liberal economics and current management and
business models, and research and debate on the generation of
alternative approaches that are based on a concept of sustainability
are growing in fields as disparate as ergonomics and finance or
management (see, for example, Khurana, 2007; Genaidy, sequeira,
rinder, & a-rehim, 2009).
although meeting the combination of environmental, climatic
and economic/employment restructuring challenges will adversely
affect some industries and activities – industries which will resist
changes for this reason - it will also lead to new areas of growth and
“green” jobs. a number of examples illustrate this.
With regard to energy generation, a shift away from an
overarching dependence on fossil fuels towards a greater use of
renewal forms of energy (wind, wave or tidal, solar, thermal and,
selectively, hydro) will create new jobs in manufacturing and
operations. most of these renewable energy forms are more
amenable, local/regional or even household applications, which
increase flexibility and self-sufficiency in power generation and are
at a scale that is more applicable to poor countries (especially if
initial construction costs are subsidised by wealthier countries).
Jobs associated with these changes can be used to both create
meaningful employment opportunities and address health
inequalities (pollin & Wicks-Lim, 2008). for example, youth in
deprived urban or rural areas can be trained and employed in the
installation and maintenance of solar panels for buildings and
houses or in the installation and maintenance of water tanks and
Enterprise making solar panels.
renewable energy development. port of
Genoa (italy).
source: © ilo/M. crozet (2008)
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