- As you look at your home, do you think of the trees that were used to build it?
- As you turn on the tap, do you think of where your water comes from and how its quality is maintained?
- As you take each breath, are you aware of the quality of the air that is essential to all life?
- As you eat the food you’ve purchased at the grocery store, do you consider what went into growing, harvesting, and processing all of the ingredients and finished products?
- As you drive around your region, do you give a thought to how the lands are managed and sustained?
Natural Resource Management
Natural Resource Management is where the natural world and our human-built infrastructure intersect. Managing the use of natural resources in ways that enhance restoration, conservation, biodiversity, and sustainability is the focus of professions in this sector.
This tradition has roots in the early conservation efforts of the late 19th century as well as the environmental efforts for clean air and water in the late 20th century.
With an increased emphasis on sustainability throughout the economy, new innovations are evident in this field.
Air
Air Quality Management encompasses the monitoring, measurement, and control of pollutants in the air we breathe, be it in the city where we might be breathing pollution from cars and industrial sites, in the country where agricultural processes pollute the air, or in the buildings where we live and work.
Strategies to reduce air pollution include:
- Urban and transportation planning
- Land use planning
- Technological advances in the manufacturing processes
- Design of products that cause less pollution when manufactured
- Improved regulation and enforcement
- Cleaner fuels
- Improving the fuel efficiency of cars, trucks, cargo ships and other vehicles.
Carbon accounting is also being used in some regions to encourage large greenhouse gas emitters to take measures to reduce the pollution and greenhouse gases they create.
Fish and Wildlife
If biodiversity, caring for ecosystems and the protection, conservation and restoration of wildlife habitats and wildlife populations appeal to you, consider a career in Wildlife and Fisheries Management.
Your options will be varied. Depending on your background and interests, you might be involved in research studying:
- Wildlife health
- Designing habitat restoration plans
- Working directly with endangered species.
This industry has positions for a wide range of specialists including:
- Biologists
- Physicists
- Experts in GIS/modeling
- Statisticians
- Mathematicians
- Chemists
- Climatologists
- Geographers.
Often interdisciplinary teams come together from various fields including genetics, ecology, economics, physiology, limnology and other sciences to address specific issues that impact fish and wildlife.
Forests
Forestry is a very old industry with new concerns. Today's foresters manage forests with a view to sustainability, resource management, as well as the beneficial effects of forests on our climate.
Cities are beginning to manage their "urban forest" as a means of cleaning up air pollution and reducing the temperature in the hot summer months.
Timber products such as wood, wood pulp, and paper, are now certified to show that they are from responsibly grown and managed forests, taking into consideration the well being of the environment, conservation of resources, protection of water sources and wildlife habitats, and the needs of future generations.
Land Management
The objectives of Land Management are to ensure that our lands are used in a sustainable manner to benefit human endeavors while protecting natural habitats and preserving biodiversity of our ecosystems.
The field is pretty broad and includes:
- Conservation
- Restoration
- Remediation
- Land Use and Land Trust Management
Sustainable Agriculture
Sustainable Agriculture seeks to produce food, fiber, and livestock in a way that is profitable, environmentally sound, and good for communities.
People in this industry strive to produce with the least possible harm to the environment and without depleting the earth's resources. To do this, they model their practices after systems found in nature and use methodologies that are self-sustaining.
Sustainable Agriculture embraces:
- Biodiversity
- Recycling of plant nutrients
- Protecting soil from erosion
- Water conservation
- Minimizing tillage
(By contrast, industrial agriculture or agribusiness uses methods that produce profits, but cause considerable damage to the environment throughout the region by way of pesticides, extensive use of water and energy, and accumulating animal waste products.)
Water Resource Management
Water Resources Management includes:
- Water treatment to make water suitable for drinking, agriculture, and industrial uses
- Water conservation to identify ways to conserve water
- Managing natural wetlands
- Flood water management
As the world population continues to grow and global warming plays havoc with our climate, water issues will gain more attention.
One Note on Waste Management:
Traditionally waste management is included under resource management as waste is a resource that must be managed. Although green waste does come from natural sources, much waste is anything but natural.
Consumer waste, industrial waste, electronic waste are all a product of our manufacturing process and our consumption-based life/work style. For this reason, I’m thinking of waste as part of the manufacturing cycle. By putting it there, we can think of it as part of the entire system and, hopefully, find ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle the waste in meaningful, productive, cost effective, and income producing ways.
© Copyright, 2010, Carol McClelland. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
---------------------------------------------
Carol McClelland, PhD, is the author of Green Careers For Dummies and the Founder and Executive Director of Green Career Central, a full-service online resource center dedicated to providing career guidance, coaching, and resources to clarify the ever-evolving world of green career possibilities for professionals, students, and career counselors. For more information, visit Green Career Central.
