PETRILA, Romania — For many years, Sebastian Tirinticǎ worked in a coal mine, just like his father and grandfather before him.
These days, Tirinticǎ, now 38, is largely surrounded by solar panels and wind turbines as he travels across Romania to train former coal workers and others for jobs in renewable energies.
It’s been a huge professional shift for a worker from one of the main coal regions of this formerly communist Eastern European country.
“It’s hard to unglue yourself from something you did your entire life,” said Tirinticǎ, who has a short beard sprinkled with grey hair. “It’s hard to start again from zero, and not everyone has the strength and courage to do it.”
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