Science Jobs - Join the Green Revolution

Over the past few years, awareness about the state of the environment has been growing at a fever pitch. While there have been periodic bursts of eco-friendliness in the past, the use of the internet has spread awareness to an unprecedented degree. This has created a whole range of science jobs for graduates.

Regardless of whether or not you are a gung-ho Greenie, there are plenty of opportunities for science-minded people in a "Green economy".

Let's take an obvious case: the transportation industry. Cars are now expected to get better gas mileage and the use of public transportation is increasing. What can that mean for you?

Well, let's think about everything to goes into the production of a car, or bus, or subway train.

First, there's the actual manufacturing plant that assembles the vehicle. Also, there are a bunch of subsidiary plants that manufacture different pieces of the vehicle (like glass plants for wind shields, textile mills for upholstery, etc.). There's people who have to design the vehicles, and people who have to design the factories that produce the parts for the vehicles.

Big companies also have research departments that are looking for manufacturing innovations that are both eco-friendly and cost efficient (bioplastics is a big field right now). And before any of the raw materials get to the factory, they have to be procured, right? So that means mining, steel foundries, agricultural centers for cotton, and so on.

That covers the production of vehicles, but what about regulation of the manufacturers. Regulatory government agencies need to keep tabs on this stuff, and the companies themselves will hire people to make sure that they are obeying relevant safety and environmental regulations (your salary costs a lot less than a lawsuit).

Then, once these vehicles are on the road (or the trains are on the tracks), they need to be periodically inspected and maintained. Also, used materials need to be disposed of (like used motor oil). That brings in not only disposal companies, but also recycling companies.

This is only very broad sketch of one particular industry. If you dig deep, you'll find that there are plenty of jobs in lots of different industries that can utilize your science skills.

Here's one out of left field: golf courses use a lot of fertilizer and there are companies devoted to making sure that the fertilizer doesn't contaminate local water supplies. There's more science to golf than just the perfect golf swing, and if you look hard enough at any industry, you'll find opportunities.

Why not look into these possible "green" science jobs:

o Conservation Biologist
o Hydrologist
o Pollution Control Technician
o Science Teacher
o Environmental Engineer
o Toxicologist
o Ecologist
o Economist
o Environmental Lawyer
o Forester
o Public Affairs Professional
o Waste Disposal Technician
o Environmental Chemist
o Environmental Health and Safety Technician
o Environmental Compliance Officer
o Urban and Regional Planner
o Pollution Control Engineer