On Friday, Congress took an extraordinary step forward on efforts to curb global warming. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the first-ever bill designed to advance a clean energy economy that creates green jobs, boosts national security and protects our planet. Click here to see the ad that SEIU and coalition groups launched in Capitol Hill publications just last week, urging Congress to pass and strengthen the Waxman-Markey American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES).

Areas of the bill that could still use some strengthening, according to our coalition partner the Blue Green Alliance: key provisions related to the Renewable Electricity Standard, investments in clean energy, energy efficiency, worker training and fair treatment of workers. BGA Executive Director David Foster praised the passing of the legislation:

"The Blue Green Alliance and its labor and environmental partners believe that comprehensive climate change legislation is essential to creating millions of jobs building the clean energy economy, particularly in manufacturing and construction, two industries hard hit by the economic downturn."

Bright Ideas
On Sunday, President Obama sat down with a group of reporters for an in-depth interview about the climate bill and energy, saying that he thinks the clean-energy market is poised for explosive growth. One small thing Americans can do to help conserve energy as our country moves towards enacting stricter energy-efficiency standards? Buy new lightbulbs.

Obama said the Department of Energy is at work on new standards for fluorescent and incandescent lighting. "Now I know light bulbs may not seem sexy, but this simple action holds enormous promise because 7 percent of all the energy consumed in America is used to light our homes and our businesses," Obama said. Read the president's full remarks here. More details on the Waxman-Markey legislation at ThinkProgress's Wonk Room.

Jobs Growth Not a Myth in Certain Sectors

For the millions of Americans who have lost their jobs or feared for their job security in the past couple of months, one might think there are simply no jobs to be had in this current economic downspiral.

Although nobody's job is 100 percent secure, there are certain professions that have proven to be less sensitive to economic downturns. For the many Americans who spend their days scouring the classifieds or waiting in mile-long lines at career fairs, it's encouraging to know that there are job sectors that are still in need of educated employees right now. Here are a few bright spots:

Health and education are at the top of the Obama Administration--and our country's--list of priorities, so teachers and healthcare professionals are in high demand.

Of the 30 fastest growing professions reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), nearly half are related to the healthcare field, which saw a gain of 27,000 jobs in February alone. Highly in-demand occupations include nurses, medical assistants, physician assistants, home health aides, and medical records and health information technicians.

BLS has historically classified teachers as a recession-proof career field, and much like healthcare, there will always be a need for teachers. The National Center for Education Statistics predicts that in the next eight years, 2.8 million more teachers will be needed to join the 3.2 million existing teachers because of retirements, higher enrollment and teacher turnover.

More reasons to "Go Green:" We all know it's time for America to invest in renewable energy for our country's future, and there is already a huge and growing sector working to fight global warming. The Obama administration is very focused on green job creation and clean energy initiatives that will work on harnessing all forms of solar, geothermal and wind power to double our renewable energy production by 2012 and advance sustainable growth.

According to Newsweek, in one 2006 study released by the Renewable Energy Policy Project, researchers found that 2,000 businesses in Michigan could use wind turbine technology as an employment alternative for 34,000 ailing auto workers by reorienting workers from their manufacturing jobs to jobs focused on creating renewable energy for the state. As the U.S. auto industry continues to decline, think about how many other states a project such as this could benefit...

Jobs in "green" energy and the environmental sector will continue to see increased employment rates, to fill the green jobs that already exist as well as explore new technologies that will allow us to rely less on dwindling natural resources and preserve the environment.

Job security in Security: The fact that we're in a recession doesn't lessen our country's need for security and law enforcement to ensure the safety and protection its citizens. Jobs in America's Homeland Security and Defense Departments are increasing, with 80,000 more positions opening up over the next two years, as estimated by a report by the Partnership for Public Service. Other sought-after positions include security guards, police officers, international and transportation security experts.

Amongst the steady stream of discouraging economic news and dismal unemployment numbers, it's reassuring to know that there are still job fields that stand a good chance of weathering this economic storm. For a look at the Bureau of Labor Statistics' projections of the fastest-growing careers, click here.

More reading on career fields that can offer higher job stability during times of economic hardship:

USA Today: "Even in a recession, some companies are hiring"
TIME: "150 Best Recession-Proof Jobs Overall"
Kiplinger: "Recession-proof Careers"

Flickr photos used in this post courtesy of greenforall.org and MatthewBradley