Beverly Fast Sinclair CRS, GRI

With the $787 billion stimulus package on the top of everyone's mind, people are wondering what jobs are going to be created from all this money. Well here are the top ten green job industries that should fair well from the package:

1) Advanced Biofuel- derived from non-food crops like cornstalks. These emmit 60% less greenhouse gases but still preform like normal fuel. By 2012 the industry will generate 123,000 new jobs.

2) Building Retrofitting- nearly all homes are leaking money through wasted heat and energy. The Obama Administration wants to retrofit nearly 10 million homes per year until 2020. At that rate this field could sustain nearly 6 million jobs.

3) Geothermal Energy- geothermal hot spots produce a natural source for steam that can be harnessed into energy. Geothermal energy is renewable and clean energy. This field employed nearly 16,000 people in 2008.

4) Green Chemistry- this is the design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use or creation of hazardous substances. Green chemistry does chemistry the way nature does. Ninety-five percent of everyday products are petroleum based and there is a push to switch those out with 'natural' products. The exact number of created jobs is unknown but it is likely to be tens of thousands of jobs.

5) Green Manufacturing- think 2.5 million jobs in this field are likely to be created to help switch over many plants to preform green.

6) Smart Grid- this is a coordinated national effort to modernize the electrical transmission grid with updated technology that will save energy. Also with the renewable energy sector growing there is a need for people to connect communities with renewable energy sources. There will be an estimated 140,000 hitech jobs created in this field.

7) Solar Energy- this involves 85,000 jobs each year. The industry has just recorded its third year of growth with 16% growth last year despite the recession.

8) Sustainable Agriculture- this is a way of farming that produces food indefinitely without cause sever or irreversable damage. In 2007, 11,901 farms were being converted.

9) Sustainable Green Retailing- retrofitting existing retail businesses to be environmentally friendly in products and services.

10) Wind Energy- America can run on AIR! With wind farms popping up all over, with a big one in South California through the mountains, jobs are also popping up. The stimulus package will preserve or create 89,000 jobs in 2009 alone, and continue into 2010 and farther.

With spring in full bloom and weather looking great, here are some tips to make you garden work for you.

1) Start Small- small gardens are easier to manage, especially if you're just starting out. This will help you learn gardening basics such as: weed and pest control, and watering requirements. As you hone your gardening skills you can create more larger gardens.

2) Start a compost pile- start a pile in the corner of your yard. Use your compost by spreading a thin layer over garden beds, mix it with soil when planting, or top off containers with it. If for some reason you can't make it, buy it. Many cities sell it in bags or bulk.

3) Maintain healthy soil- using compost will help but there are other ways too. Avoid walking on soil in gardens because it will compact the ground and make it hard to grow; don't over work your soil, good soil isn't powdery; avoid working with it when it's wet.

4) Mulch- it has many important features. Mulch suppresses weed growth, maintains moisture, and stabilizes soil temperature.

5) Water properly- deep soak each time you water to encourage deep roots. Watering early in the morning well help keep down on fungal growth because the soil will have time to dry out during the day.

6) Go native- native plants tend to be easier to grow. The more native you grow the more your confidence level as a gardener will grow. Visit a nursery to learn more about native plants in your area.

7) Minimize maintenance- to help keep maintenance down: cut back on fertilizer, and prune only when necessary.

8) Visit the garden regularly- spending just 10 minutes a day walking around, maybe with your cup of coffee, will help you bond with your garden and notice at the beginning if something starts to go wrong. Plus by dealing with the small stuff everyday you won't be overwhelmed by the weekend.

Sales in 17 states picked up first quarter of 2009 compared to 2008. This is more evidence that economists are looking for that the recession is bottoming out. Economist also predict that more states will show improvements throughout the year. Patrick Newport, economists for IHS Global Insight, states that some states show early signs of recovery from the recession.

Some say that the price of the pickup maybe be a surprise for the positive because the prices have drop enought that people who thought they couldn't afford a home are now finding that they can.

Metro area median home prices

Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX	$112.7	$123.0	$122.9	$132.6	$129.1	5 .0%
Binghamton, NY	$96.9	$111.2	$109.7	$105.8	$110.3	0 .5%

Oklahoma City, OK	$125.0	$134.9	$124.9	$124.2	$129.9	4 .0%

SaltLakeCity, UT	$203.0	$232.0	$225.7	$225.4	$230.1	1 .9%
SanAntonio, TX	$141.7	$153.2	$149.8	$143.4	$148.3	-1.0%

Springfield, IL	$105.4	$109.0	$107.2	$96.7	$111.4	3 .9%

Here are some ways to protect your home.

• Walk around the property and ask yourself 'how would I break in?' Look in windows and make sure there are no valuables visible.
• Sliding doors are often an easy entry point for a burglar. To prevent it from sliding place a broomstick in the track.
• Exterior doors should be solid-core doors with heavy duty dead bolts. You may want to consider heavy duty strike plates or door reinforcement kits.
• You may love the extra sunlight from open doors but it also opens your home to burglars. Install a storm door with a lock to let sunlight in and burglars out.
• Use a bolted down safe or heavy duty filing cabinet with lock to store all important documents in. Also put copies of reciepts on expensive items as proof of purchase if something were to happen to them.
• Shred documents with personal information to keep someone looking through and stealing your identity.
• If you go on vacation: set timers on lights, radios, and televisions to give the illusion that someone is there.
• When you move into a house or apartment have the locks rekeyed. You never know who the last occupants may have given a key to, maybe a crazy ex.
• Keep gates and doors locked if you have a fence or shed.
• Identify you property with invisible-ink pens, use your drivers license number as ID.
• Keep all points of entry to you home well lit. INstall motion sensor lights on the rear and sides of your home, position them out of reach so they can't easily be turned off.

Why stick to boring neutrals, when you can have exciting colors? Here are some clever colors to choose and where to put them.

Into the Blue- give your kitchen a splash of color with a burst of blue on a wall. Blue makes white cabinetry and photo frames pop. Bring in accents on the warm end of the color wheel to tie the room together.

Red Revolution- in your bedroom think of a Crayola box of crayons. Bright reds create drama even if its just one wall. Don't be afraid to add black with bedding, pillows, or head boards. It might be too Christmas-y for you but think about a moss color to bring down the intensity a bit.

Orange Crush- create an inviting entry way with arich orange tone. Paint the opposite wall yellow to create depth.

Green Scene- home offices are about efficiency so add some green to keep you awake. Keep the energy up by paring it with oranges espresso, and green apple.

Rainbow Bright- Grouping similarly hued objects brings focus to a cluttered bookcase. Stagger your boldest colors on key shelves, like the top, bottom, and middle, leaving neutral space in between.

Aqua Lounge- pair two calm colors like aqua and celery together to create a comfortable living space.