When Naomi Devine was growing up, she knew she had to do something to help save the planet. Devine, now 30, is one of many Canadians trying to work at a green job in a green economy.

"I feel in Canada, we're the David Suzuki generation. We've always known the environment was being hurt -- that's how I thought about it as a kid," says Devine, the sustainability co-ordinator for Whistler 2020, Whistler's sustainability project.

"That makes us the first generation that has grown up understanding that something serious was happening to the planet. And it's driven a lot of people into environmental work, whether it's through volunteering or specific career paths."

The current economy is often referred to as the "grey economy" -- one based on consumption rather than sustainability -- while the "green economy" is seen as a transition to a sustainability-focused future. Eco Canada, an environmental job site funded in part by the Government of Canada, estimates there are more than 530,000 environmental employees in Canada, comprising 3.2 per cent of the country's workforce. It's estimated that by 2011, environmental employment -- scientists, administrators and manufacturing jobs in the sector -- will increase to more than 570,000.

Aside from the technical and scientific careers -- hydrologists, environmental engineers and the like -- other options for working in sustainability are appearing. Devine wanted to work in the policy and planning end. In her current position, she worked on a policy for Whistler to put climate-related spending clauses on climate-action money received from the provincial government, and she wrote a carbon-neutral plan for Whistler, now in place, which will take the municipality to carbon neutrality in 2010 -- two years before the B.C. municipalities' goal of 2012.

To transition from student to sustainability co-ordinator, Devine was first involved in volunteer and community organizations. As an environmental-studies and political-science student at the University of Victoria, Devine volunteered with the University of Victoria Sustainability Project. She also started the Victoria chapter of the B.C. Sustainable Energy Association, eventually joining its board of directors.

"From there, I took on projects: starting the sustainability assessment of the University of Victoria, working for the Vancouver Island Public Interest Research Group on sustainability issues, and the Polis Project on Ecological Governance," says Devine. "I did a tour of sustainability NGO work when I was in university."

Devine then started a non-profit organization called Common Energy, aimed at taking UVic beyond carbon neutral. When the project got sponsored by the university, Devine became an employee, an important stepping stone to her job in Whistler.

Sarah Webb, the climate action co-ordinator for the CRD, had a similar path. Webb was active with a number of non-profit organizations while she was a biology and environmental-studies student at UVic. She noticed a job posting for a sustainability co-ordinator at UVic, applied, and got the job. She spent seven years with the university. That, paired with consulting experience and post-degree training as a sustainable building adviser -- a certification which allows her to advise on green building programs and strategies, including LEED (leadership in energy and environmental design) -- helped her refine her skills.

"It is about sticking at it, and taking on positions and jobs in the non-profit sector, working on a volunteer or honorarium basis to get experience in a wide array of different skill sets," says Webb. She says post-degree training and continuing education courses are a great way to keep up with current issues. Skills such as public speaking can be improved and volunteering can make a world of difference in building a résumé and landing a position, says Webb.

Webb cites the green roof on the CRD's downtown Victoria office as an example of the green economy at work, because it involved all types of people to plan, design, install and maintain. A green roof is a specially designed roof completely covered with vegetation and soil, which helps absorb rainwater, grow food, insulate the building and provide a habitat for wildlife.

"The green economy needs farmers, writers, mechanics, plumbers, planners, engineers and more -- almost every profession you can imagine has an opportunity to use a green lens," says Webb. She says the green economy focuses on society and culture, equity and social justice, and about how to transition and create new opportunities in rural and urban communities, not just the financial bottom line.

City planners are also working on sustainability.

Kim Fowler, director of sustainability for the City of Victoria, graduated from the University of Toronto planning program in 1990, specializing in environmental planning. Fowler's thesis was on how to implement sustainability in municipalities, something she is still working towards.

For those interested in the planning profession, Fowler says having a wide variety of skills is important.

"Today I've probably dealt with 12 or 13 issues that ran across social, economic and environmental areas," says Fowler. "Planners are specialized generalists: We've got to know a fair amount about a lot of things. But the best part about this profession is to put all those things together."

The field of environmental law is also growing. Lawyer and professor Chris Tollefson is the executive director of the UVic Environmental Law Centre, a group that provides pro-bono legal services to groups dealing with environmental issues.

"When I was in law school, environmental law was not really an area of practice. It was only just beginning to be defined," says Tollefson.

"Many of us were interested in doing work in the public-interest side of things, but opportunities were limited."

So in 1996, Tollefson and other like-minded students began the Environmental Law Centre at UVic. He also took part in the founding of Ecojustice Legal Defence Fund, where he served as president from 1997 to 2001.

"Climate change is now a key feature and a key driver in environmental law. It's beginning to have an effect on other practice areas. Environmental lawyers need to be nimble and quick on their feet," says Tollefson.

"It's a challenging area that will continue to provide opportunities and interest for aspiring young lawyers."

For youth interested in getting into the field of sustainability, the Youth Eco Internship Program may be a place to start. The program sets up paid internships in the non-profit and community services sector for youth aged 15 to 30. Eco Jobs Canada also has an internship board, as well as a job board for those looking for environmental careers.

Read Steve Carey's blog at www.timescolonist.com/rethink.