The success of the Academy Award-winning documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, has highlighted the hotly-debated topic of global warming. Lively discussions flourish on university campuses, in coffee shops, on the job and in online chat rooms. Newspapers, magazines and television have paraded a bevy of scientists and other environmental expertsbefore the public; and these experts have unceasingly weighed in on the issues. Yet the controversies over global warming loom larger than ever, with more questions than answers remaining.
The word ‘environment’ is defined as: (a) “the complex of physical, chemical, and biotic factors … climate, soil, and living things … that act upon an organism or an ecological community and ultimately determine its form and survival”, or (b) “the aggregate of social and cultural conditions that influence the life of an individual or community”. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)
However, a true understanding of the depth of environmental issues requires more than simple semantics. These concerns are at the heart of human, animal and plant existence upon the earth. The air we breathe, the foods we eat, the animal species that either thrive or become endangered, the ecological impact of energy sources, the proper disposition of hazardous wastes, and the safety and adequacy of water supplies all fall under the broad scope of environmental science.
The U.S. federal government’s experts work primarily for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which employs approximately 18,000 people to research, monitor and administrate environmental matters within the 50 states. Headquartered in Washington, D.C. the EPA also has regional offices and labs staffed by well-educated, technically trained personnel. This agency also provides research funding to states, universities and non-profit organizations for projects that seek to protect and improve environmental conditions.
Jobs at the top tier of this field generally require a master’s or Ph.D. degree; but entry level positions may be found with a bachelor’s degree. Professionals from a variety of disciplines, such as accounting, engineering, business, public affairs, computer science, information management, education and law are also employed with environmental scientists at the federal, state and local levels of government, as well as in private sector consulting jobs.
Those who are interested in this career field may choose a college major either in environmental science, which offers an interdisciplinary approach, or in geology, chemistry, biology, mathematics, physics, or other relevant sciences. Numerous online schools offer accredited online degrees in these disciplines and may be explored on educational web sites such as findmixdegree.space. Online degrees offer tremendous flexibility and are tailor-made for those who are currently employed and wish to pursue career opportunities in this multi-faceted field.
