Employment in the Green Sector
As we watch the impacts of AI on jobs and the effects of Trump’s tariffs on businesses, uncertainty about our future is mounting—along with fears that the cost of living will become unsustainable. At the same time, the wage gap between the lowest-paid and highest-paid workers has reached an astounding ratio, concentrating more wealth in fewer hands. How will future generations survive?
We are entering a time when many households cannot afford the latest appliances and devices. How can we help families navigate this new economic reality? We cannot expect government to fund our survival long-term, and many billionaires will not forgo profits to support those who cannot find work that sustains their families. We have seen a few billionaires in the United States give substantial sums to organizations affected by Trump’s cutbacks, but they are the exception. Meanwhile, large companies continue to eliminate jobs and replace human support with AI-driven customer service—too often with poor results.
From the 1950s to the 1970s, the economist E. F. Schumacher—whose writings were collected in “Small Is Beautiful”—advocated for “intermediate technology”: products that are simple to build, simple to use, and simple to repair. Although originally aimed at the developing world, what if we applied intermediate technology to the developed world as well?
Remember when household appliances like washing machines and dryers routinely lasted at least twenty years? Today we’re told to expect replacements within ten. What if we created simpler products that last longer because we can fix them? While this might decrease sales for some businesses, the current cycle of frequent replacement creates enormous waste. The cost of that waste is becoming clearer, but not quickly enough to prevent our landfills and incinerators from leaching chemicals into our soil, air, and water.
We have an opportunity to design products that rely on less complexity and more durability. The market for eco-friendly, sustainable goods is already worth billions and growing. By focusing on low- to intermediate-technology designs, we reduce barriers to entry—less formal education and fewer elite connections are required—and open pathways to broader participation. This is just one emerging sector in which we can build a greener economy and more resilient livelihoods.