From thevividedge.com

Some emerging technical vocabulary is so self explanatory that it requires almost no definition!

So it is with the concept of a “Green Collar” worker.

The first initial reference to such may have been:

1976, Patrick Heffernan, “Jobs for the Environment — The Coming Green Collar Revolution”, in Jobs and Prices in the West Coast Region: Hearing before the Joint Economic Committee, Congress of the United States, Ninety-Fourth Congress, Second Session, U.S. Government Printing Office, page 134.

See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green-collar_worker

Another Wikipedia reference credits Patrick Heffernan as well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Heffernan

All Words.com also credits Patrick Heffernan.

http://www.allwords.com/word-green-collar.html

So does the Telegraph:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/budget/5202851/Governments-green-Budget-is-nothing-more-than-a-whitewash.html

It seems to be Patrick Heffernan, way back in 1976 already.

That is visionary …