An Excerpt from The Complete Guide to Environmental Careers in the 21st Century

By The Environmental Careers Organization
Kevin Doyle, Editor and Project Director

As we enter the 21st century, who is getting hired? What types of professionals are most in demand by environmental employers? The answers to these questions depend on which definition one uses for "in demand." People from some fields are "in demand" because of the sheer number of individuals employed in those fields, even if current growth rates are not high. Other fields may be growing rapidly but from a small base. Finally, a few fields are just starting to show up, but future growth will be needed soon. The descriptions that follow include a combination of all three definitions.

POLLUTION PREVENTION (P2) SPECIALISTS

Most pollution prevention (P2) work is done by engineers, chemists, and other scientists, but people from almost any profession can identify ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle. In addition, some of the most effective pollution prevention is achieved through education and training; that is, helping professionals understand what might be done in their industry through simple changes. To get a sense of the broad range of work being done by pollution prevention professionals, check out the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable's web site. For information about education for P2, contact the National Pollution Prevention Center for Higher Education.

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND OTHER COMPUTER SPECIALISTS

The environmental community lives on data, especially data that can be shown visually and interactively by computer systems that demonstrate interaction between human activities and ecological systems. Geographic information systems (GIS) specialists are in demand at planning agencies, consulting firms, research centers, and throughout private industry. GIS, of course, relies on the existence of good data in the first place, which creates employment for sampling professionals and new technological developments in monitoring equipment and remote sensing from satellites. Finally, traditional database and information systems managers are also in demand. For more information about GIS careers and educational opportunities, visit http://ulysses.unl.edu/calmit/gisrs.html, which links to dozens of other related sites.

ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNICATORS AND EDUCATORS

In recent years, the nation has seen a noticeable shift in environmental problem solving, away from a preference for secrecy, adversarial relationships, and litigation, and toward greater openness and a search for common ground. Regulators depend on education as much as they do on enforcement. Non-profit leaders meet with corporate executives. "Right-To-Know" laws require polluters to make available information that would have been carefully guarded just a few years ago. And institutions of all stripes seek to influence the hearts and minds of the general public.

The freer flow of information, and the desire for more voluntary actions, creates opportunities for communicators and educators who can help translate scientific and technical issues for the general public, and for those who can create venues (e.g., meetings, conferences, public hearings, and community gathering) for an open exchange of opinions. Progressive land developers, for instance, now engage local governments and community residents in open dialogue long before approaching formal boards for permit approvals.

Simultaneously, the rapid growth in environmental information creates a pressing need for professionals to stay up-to-date. Continuing education is critical for success, and this has created opportunities for educators who provide rapidly changing seminars, workshops, short courses, safety trainings, and other learning opportunities.

ENGINEERING SPECIALTIES

Engineers of all kinds are at the center of the environmental careers world. Process and chemical engineers with industry-specific knowledge will be particularly in demand for pollution prevention projects. Consulting in this field is on the rise. Agricultural engineering is another rising position, and one that is tackling one of our most intractable environmental problems-raising food sustainably for six billion people (and growing). Environmental engineers with training in multimedia approaches to environmental concerns are certainly needed.

International work holds immense possibilities for environmentally related engineers of the future as less advanced countries spend billions to improve the basic water, wastewater, and pollution control infrastructure that wealthier nations have already constructed. Finally, engineers will have interesting challenges taking apart some of the engineering "solutions" of the past. See chapter 4 for information on how the Army Corps of Engineers is working to dismantle the dikes, levees, dams, and braces on the Napa River, allowing it to run free for flood control purposes. Aspiring engineers can start with information from the American Academy of Environmental Engineers, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and the American Society of Agricultural Engineers.

ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTS

Chemists are found at every level of environmental work and in all parts of the economy. Education in chemistry remains one of the best baseline scientific backgrounds for an environmental professional career, including nonscientific ones. Chemistry training is particularly crucial in the environmental protection and waste management fields (e.g., water, air solid waste, and hazardous waste, chapters 6,7,8, and 9, respectively). Chemists are found in the lab, on the remediation site, at treatment facilities, in the classroom, and on corporate and government regulatory compliance staffs. Finally, experiments in chemistry will bring us new, nontoxic chemicals that can be incorporated by engineers into pollution prevention strategies. If you are interested, you can get more information from the American Chemical Society or university chemistry departments.

FUNDRAISING PROFESSIONALS

If there is one constant in the nonprofit world, it is the need to raise funds. In fact, development directors are often among the best paid, and most sought after, professionals in nonprofit environmental work. Fundraising directors write grant requests, develop relationships with foundation and corporate donors, manage membership campaigns, pursue major donors, and carry out appeals and special events. Organizational communications involving newsletters, web sites, public education, and marketing often fall in the development department as well. The National Society of Fund Raising Executives can help you get started.

The private sector corrollary to fundraising professionals are "rainmakers" - professionals who can attract business to consulting firms and other environmental industry firms. If you can generate revenue, you will be in demand.

PLANNERS

Environmental management is looking for greater levels of integration. That's what "place-based" approaches, multimedia management, watershed planning, ecosystems management, and sustainable development are all about. Moreover, environmental problems call for a greater number of people whose professional background prepares them to combine human needs and ecological realities for the advancement of both within a framework of political and financial reality at the local level. Well-educated planners bring exactly this set of skills to the table, not only for jobs formally called "planner," but for a wide range of opportunities. Get in touch with the American Planning Association to learn more.

ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNICIANS

Environmental technicians are an immense part of the environmental career world, although they may go under different names. Technicians collect air, water, and soil samples. They carry out botanical and wildlife inventories. Technicians do the basic work at water and wastewater treatment plants, as well as at treatment, storage, and disposal sites. There are thousands of forestry, biological, range management, and remediation technicians.

The vast majority of technicians have undergraduate training. One of the themes of environmental employment over the last ten years has been a noticeable rise in the number of environmental degree programs at community college and vocational schools. As environmental work has matured, many employers have come to realize that a talented person with an associate's degree, trained in the latest technologies and regulations, can effectively do work that was once reserved for people with undergraduate degrees. Job oriented students have also realized that a two-year degree might be a more cost-effective way to enter the environmental professions.

Finally, if it's true that many people become environmental professionals to work outdoors, technician work is a great place to start. It's often true that the technicians are the ones out in the fields, streams, and work sites, while other professionals are back in the office.

TEACHERS

The nation needs a new generation of teachers. Shortages in many school districts are already a serious problem, and a large wave of retirees is about to make it worse. From our point of view, all teachers are prospective environmental educators. Talented educators use math, science, literature, theater, art, languages, government, and history to open the eyes of students to the natural world and environmental issues. Someone has probably figured out a way to use driver's education and gym class as well. And yet fewer people are entering the field. The arguments against teaching are well-known - low pay, hard working conditions, considerable responsibility, and no guarantee of respect from your peers, to name a few. However, don't let this dissuade you. If you think that teaching is for you, go for it! You will find a world of opportunity. See chapter 5 for a wealth of resources on education careers.

CONSERVATION BIOLOGISTS

Environmental employment in biology has moved away from "single species" biologists to more broadly ecological scientists who study whole ecosystems. Within the ecosystems management approach, the field of conservation biology has emerged as a demand field. As the name implies, conservation biology focuses on conservation and protection of plants, fish, and wildlife. The rapid pace of species extinction, the need for practical ways to enforce the Endangered Species Act, and the general awareness that biological understanding does not lead automatically to workable conservation strategies has moved conservation biology into the spotlight. On a pure science front, many conservation biologists work in the field of population genetics, which is crucial to our understanding of extinction. Good places to learn more include universities that offer conservation biology specializations (including Minnesota, Michigan, Maryland, Penn State, and Clemson) and associations such as the Ecological Society of America, the American Institute of Biological Sciences, and the Society for Conservation Biology.

ENTREPRENEURS AND BUSINESS MANAGERS

Paul Hawken, in his influential book The Ecology of Commerce, makes a powerful case that the transformation of business into an inherently sustainable enterprise is perhaps the crucial task of our generation. This points to the need for a new kind of manager within business and for entrepreneurs who will start businesses that advance sustainability. On the first front, the rapid growth of environmental coursework within most of the leading M.B.A. schools is cause for hope. On the second, Gary Hirshberg, founder and president of Stonybrook Farms (known best for their yogurts) is an example. Hirshberg left the environmental nonprofit world to start his own company and demonstrate by example that the ideas he advocated could succeed in the "real world." The company has been an outstanding success. For regular examples of stories like this, check out In Business: The Magazine for Environmental Entrepreneuring (J.G. Press, 419 Stale Avenue, Emmaus, PA, 18049, 610-967-4135). To learn more about environmental business management at the Fortune 500 level, contact the Management Institute for Environment and Business.

DUAL TRACK ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGERS

Integration of different fields - science, engineering, politics, law, information technology, project management, business administration, marketing, communications, and economics - is at the heart of the emerging environmental professions. Among the most popular careers are hybrids that combine two or more professional tracks. The Master of Environmental Management program at Duke University's Nicholas School for the Environment is an example of an interdisciplinary program that weaves together different tracks to educate the environmental managers of tomorrow. Demand is also high for people who combine two traditional degrees. Engineers with an M.B.A., or scientists with a master's in public administration are two good examples.

These are just a few of the popular career fields in environmental and conservation work. There are many, many more. Let your own skills, talents, and dreams guide you.

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