The United Nations Environment Program defines a green job as (emphasis mine):

…work in agricultural, manufacturing, research and development (R&D), administrative, and service activities that contribute(s) substantially to preserving or restoring environmental quality. Specifically, but not exclusively, this includes jobs that help to protect ecosystems and biodiversity; reduce energy, materials, and water consumption through high efficiency strategies; de-carbonize the economy; and minimize or altogether avoid generation of all forms of waste and pollution.

The Center for American Progress offers a similar definition (emphasis mine):

Green jobs are today’s jobs but repurposed and expanded to build a sustainable low-carbon economy. Most green jobs will be in occupations that people already work in today. Constructing wind farms creates jobs for sheet metal workers and industrial truck drivers. Energy efficiency retrofits for buildings employ roofers and insulators. And expanding mass transit systems employs electricians and dispatchers. Green jobs are not an entirely new job sector. Akin to more familiar blue collar jobs, this new class of employment refers to certain types of productive activities rather than a specific job classification.

What’s more, green jobs are inherently local and difficult to outsource. Green jobs involve transforming today’s homes, offices and factories and investing in new, low-carbon infrastructure. This work is impossible to push offshore because it must be preformed on site. Making buildings more energy efficient, constructing mass transit lines, installing solar panels and wind turbines, expanding public green space, and growing and refining advanced biofuels all must take place right here in America.

Note that both definitions include mention of ‘decarbonizing’ or creating a ‘low-carbon’ economy.

Jack Gerard, President and CEO of the American Petroleum Institute, offered some advice for President Obama in advance of tomorrow’s State of the Union address:

We also hope the President takes the opportunity to recognize the potential of energy development to create more jobs. Not only jobs from producing more so-called green energy. But also jobs from producing more American oil and natural gas. The American oil and natural gas industry clearly has a role to play in putting Americans back to work. The U.S. oil and natural gas industry already supports more than 9 million American jobs and can create many more. The industry created more than two million additional American jobs in the years 2004 to 2007 alone. We are also a leading creator of green jobs.

The idea that the oil and gas industry is a leading creator of green jobs is absurd. Between this and Peabody energy now pushing green coal, polluting industries have outdone themselves in their efforts to rebrand the filthiest energy sources on the planet as clean and green.