Environment and Sustainability Careers

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Environment and Sustainability Careers - Overview

Do you want to . . .

• Improve our understanding of our planet's ecosystems?
• Educate or persuade people to adopt cleaner, less destructive systems and processes?
• Develop new green products, services or business models?
• Effect social change by implementing sustainable policies, systems and social structures?

If so, you can help the world move toward a greener and more sustainable future. The following resources may help you stay informed about current trends, explore career paths, research employers, and pursue exciting opportunities for making a difference.

Environment and Sustainability Career Fields

• Earth Science - modeling, prediction and measurement of land, oceans, atmosphere and climate
• Energy & Energy Management - energy generation, storage, distribution and efficiency from renewable and traditional sources
• Environmental Engineering - water usage and reclamation, waste management, compliance and remediation
• Finance and Economics - economic modeling, market analysis/forecasting, investing and venture capital
• Green Buildings - energy-efficient architecture & landscaping, LEED design and low-impact construction
• Green Business - clean tech, products, processes, services, consulting, design, manufacture, procurement, marketing, eco-tourism and LOHAS [glossary]
• Nature & Conservation - plants, animals and biodiversity; habitat preservation; freshwater, estuaries and wetlands
• Smart Development - improving infrastructure and quality of life in domestic and international communities; urban/regional planning and transportation
• Social Impact/Nonprofit - advocacy, education, outreach, planning and policy

Learn about Environment and Sustainability Careers

The following are general resources for Environment and Sustainability Careers. Link to particular sub-fields above to see more specialized resources.

Books in the CDC Resource Library

Careers in Sustainability binder
A compilation of relevant articles and resources.

6 Strategies to Find your Green Career
Careers in renewable energy; policy and direction; funding and finance; green systems/infrastructure/IT; sales and marketing; green building; green products and services;"inspiring and educating"; and greening a business. Six-page booklet in the "Careers in Sustainability" binder or download from www.GreenCareerCentral.com.

The ECO Guide to Careers that Make a Difference: Environmental Work For A Sustainable World
Detailed information on salaries, demand, and job descriptions in the environmental sector. Excellent commentary from professionals in each sector.

Careers in Renewable Energy: Get a Green Energy Job
Describes assorted specialties (engineering and technical positions, project management, R&D and sales/marketing) in the energy, green building, climate study and other sectors. Includes educational and training resources, professional associations, reference Web sites and more.

WetFeet Insider's Guide: Green Careers
Includes an overview of green sectors (like clean tech and green building); profiles of "green" workers; job hunting tips; lists of leading green employers, professional associations and networking events; and a glossary of sector-specific terminology.

Green to Gold

Résumés for Environmental Careers

100 Jobs in the Environment

Career Opportunities in Conservation and the Environment

Online Resources

CleanTech Blog
Thoughts, news and info on energy, transportation, policy, economics and green business.

Eco-Design Section, Industrial Designers Society of America
Comprehensive compilation of green links, resources and organizations. Some info is specific to the design profession, but most will appeal to those generally interested in sustainability.

ORION
High-quality magazine featuring cultural and environmental concerns. Available in print bi-monthly at the CDC Career Resource Library.

Sustain Lane
Guide includes tips, trends, services and products related to green living, as well as green job postings and career advice.

Sustainable Business
News, directories, databases and listservs clearly organized into categories such as development, education, ecotourism, green building and social investing, as well as general sustainability references.

Sustainable Industries
Breaking news, interviews, short articles and job postings in renewable energy, clean technology, green building, green marketing and outreach. Also available in print at the CDC Career Resource Library.

Sustainable Life newsletters
Weekly reports on green news and trends, including design, sourcing and business.

Tree Hugger
Newsletters, forums, green living guides and job postings for eco-friendly transportation, science, technology, architecture, design, culture, travel, food, business, fashion and beauty.

Universities Council on Water Resources (Nature & Conservation, Earth Science, Environmental Engineering)

Vault Guide to Environmental Careers
Vault Guide to Green Programs
Excellent overviews.

World Bank
News, statistics and briefings relating to worldwide development, energy, finance, economics and policy. Use the site map; otherwise this site is difficult to navigate.

Worldwatch Institute

Campus Groups and Departments

Stay informed and become involved via Stanford's institutes, centers and student organizations.

Campus Centers and Departments

Global Climate & Energy Project (GCEP)

Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in the Environment and Resources (IPER)

Woods Institute
Stanford's central hub for all interdisciplinary environmental research and programs on campus.

See a complete list of campus centers with environmental expertise at Stanford's Environmental Portal.

Stanford Student Groups

Environmental organizations
Sustainability organizations
These two lists contain many of the same student groups, yet differ slightly.

Stanford Scientific Magazine - Often includes environmental and sustainability research.

Networking and Professional Associations

Professional and industry organizations often have news about current events in their field, and occasionally white papers or tutorials for gaining a quick understanding of a topic. The following is a partial listing of organizations involved with sustainability efforts.

Professional Associations

EnviroLink Online Community
Well-organized compilation of thousands of organizations, white papers, interviews and publications. No job listings.

Networking

Berkeley Energy and Resources Collaborative
Monthly brownbag, roundtable discussions, speakers and green-tech field trips. Members share their passions and expertise pertaining to the green movement.

EcoTuesday
Meet, socialize and exchange ideas with featured speakers and others interested in sustainability. Occurs the fourth Tuesday of every month in San Francisco (as well as other cities).

GreenDrinks
Monthly social events to discuss environmental and sustainability issues. Held at local venues worldwide.

Organization Directories

Corporate Directories

The EnviroDirectory
Lists private environmental firms and reference listings. Regional editions available.

2008 National Green Pages: A Directory of Products and Services for People and the Planet
This annual directory lists thousands of environmentally-friendly and labor-friendly products and services. Sections include organic food, fair trade, socially responsible investing, green building materials, sweatshop-free clothing and energy-saving appliances.

Green Mutual Funds and Market Indices (e.g. CTIUS)
Leverage the research of business analysts and investment firms! Look up detailed investment holdings of "green" or "socially responsible" mutual funds or market indices to find names of public companies that the fund's analysts believe to be a sound investment. Beware the distinction between "best in breed" (ie, the least polluting company within a market niche) and companies demonstrating truly exemplary sustainability practices.

VC Portfolios
Looking for small (non-public) companies? Venture capital firms specializing in clean technology or the energy sector list funded companies on their websites. The VC firm has researched these companies and has enough confidence to invest in them.

The following corporate directories are only accessible from computers with a Stanford IP address. All may be searched by company name, industry, product/service, company size, geography and/or keyword.

Plunkett Research Centers
Market research, company profiles, business descriptions and financial information spanning 25 industries (including Alternative & Renewable Energy and Consulting).

CorpTech
Brief company profiles, business descriptions and financial information for 90,000+ companies (including Energy and Environmental industries).

Hoover's Inc.
Detailed company profiles and industry overviews; search categories contain fewer cutting-edge technologies. Once you've found an interesting company, check the "Competitors" section of the company's profile to identify other companies in the same market niche.

Local Entities

Bay Area Green Business Program
Directory of green businesses and resources in the Bay Area.

Government

Federal

Responsibility for the environment, energy policy and other sustainability issues is distributed across many federal agencies. These efforts focus on more traditional environmental topics (like land use, water quality, waste management and compliance) as well as in emerging fields (such as alternative energy, economic planning and the funding of relevant research).

Some agencies and their key areas of impact:

Bureau of Land Management (finance/economics, nature & conservation, social impact)

Bureau of Reclamation (energy, environmental engineering, nature & conservation, social impact)
This agency manages water and oversees construction of major dams and hydroelectric power plants.

Department of Energy (energy, finance/economics, social impact)

Environmental Protection Agency (earth science, environmental engineering, nature & conservation, social impact)

General Accounting Office (energy, green building, finance/economics)
The GAO builds and maintains all federal buildings, including new construction of green buildings and retro-fitting older structures with greener technology. The GAO also conducts energy efficiency audits and economic analyses.

National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) (earth science, nature & conservation)

National Park Service (social impact, nature & conservation)

State

Many states have their own agencies for addressing environmental and sustainability issues. The names of these agencies vary state by state. They typically have names similar to:

• Department of Environmental Protection
• Development Authority or Trust - invests state funds for the public good (e.g. renewables)
• Energy Office or Commission - e.g. the California Energy Commission
  

Local

San Francisco Department of the Environment

Non-Profit Organizations

Center for Marine Conservation (earth science, nature & conservation)

National Parks and Conservation Association (earth science, social impact)

National Recreation and Parks Association (earth science, social impact)

Natural Resources Defense Council (earth science, social impact)

Sierra Club (earth science, nature & conservation, social impact)

Surfrider Foundation USA (earth science, nature & conservation, social impact)

Water Environment Federation (earth science, nature & conservation)

More . . .

Jobs and Internships

Advertised Openings

Cardinal Careers Job & Internship Database
Log on to your Cardinal Careers account to find current job and internship openings. Search by major, field or keyword.

Environment and Sustainability job posting websites

• Earth Science - modeling, prediction and measurement of land, oceans, atmosphere and climate
• Energy & Energy Management - enerrgy generation, storage, distribution and efficiency from renewable and traditional sources
• Environmental Engineering - water usage and reclamation; waste management; compliance and remediation.
• Finance and Economics - economic modeling, market analysis/forecasting, investing and venture capital.
• Green Buildings - energy-efficient architecture & landscaping, LEED design and low-impact construction.
• Green Business - clean tech, products, processes, services, consulting, design, manufacture, procurement, marketing, eco-tourism and LOHAS [glossary].
• Nature & Conservation - plants, animals and biodiversity; habitat preservation; freshwater, estuaries and wetlands.
• Smart Development - improving infrastructure and quality of life in domestic and international communities; urban/regional planning and transportation.
• Social Impact/Nonprofit - advocacy, education, outreach, planning and policy