With a rollercoaster economy that yields more dips than leaps, more people seek work in an alternative industry — the green industry — as sales, law, and education suffer a never-ending influx of hopefuls. The fields of green, so to speak, are not as cut and dry as they seem, and some rather apt college degrees can cut a swath right through the weeds to steady employment and new goals. Some of these degrees can even be earned online.
The obvious degrees that lead into green careers are those with the word environment, such as a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science or a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies. Each field examines environmental issues; the former focuses on sustainability and chemical and biological sciences; the latter prioritizes statistics and engineering and analyses thereof from a crisis standpoint.
The term crisis is tossed about quite a bit nowadays, so its relevance is self-explanatory. The next step up from a B.A. in Environmental Studies would likely be a Master’s Degree in Environmental Sustainability. The MBA would probably be required for business applications like managerial and entrepreneurial implements and higher rungs on the proverbial ladder.
Another surefire door into a green career is a Bachelor of Science in General Agriculture. Since agriculture itself is a literal application derived from and reinvested into the land, the analyses and applications of farm, animal and soil sciences from aesthetic, functional and industrial perspectives, will be facets of the curriculum.
Naturally, organic farming and hydroponics have since become important elements within the field. Other land resource-oriented sciences also include geology, forestry and ecology. Wildlife conservation is yet another concern that exists as a sub header within these parameters, with its focus on ecosystems, habitats and indigenous life forms.
Along with land comes the planet’s most important resource: water. Related green-conscious B.S. degrees can be earned in the fields of hydrology, oceanography, and climatology. The concept of recycling is a most important concern, and one that can be applied to multiple areas.
Special expertise is required for waste and water recycling programs and implements, and an individual who holds a B.S. in Waste Management or Hydrology of Earth Resources will make a difference — and enjoy job security.
Land and water have been discussed, which leaves the air. Not exactly new, yet refined through technological progressions, wind farming is the harnessing of wind and solar power as an alternative, renewable energy resource in lieu of fossil fuels. Large wind turbines can be encountered in large clusters, spinning in unison and spread over hundreds of acres in strategic locations.
The metal monoliths require minimal maintenance and are cited as lucrative, so do the math. The only drawback at the moment is that wind farming requires an initial investor, who would then gather a team of degree-holders knowledgeable in various sciences.
A green career is a step closer towards a conscious goal, one that does not serve just one being, but the good of the people and the planet. There lies the nexus of the matter, for there can be no people if there is no planet. The Earth’s natural resources are not inexhaustible. By procuring work in the green industry, more and more people will be able to effect positive, environmentally conscious changes that could yet prove the doom-and-gloomers wrong.
Engineers are also needed in the green industry. There the ones who design solar farm and wind farm layouts. A university in my province is offering a B.A. in engineering for renewable and sustainable energy.