President Obama’s attempt to create a green economy is having more impact than one might see at first. It’s giving industries involved in environmental administration, emergency management and waste management pollution control a major shot in the arm. It’s also creating a new occupation; one that considers environmental, business and social impact of all going down. These people are getting degrees in Environmental Policy and Management.
Like the industries, this is a field that’s still establishing what it is about. It does concentrate on natural resource use and the state of our ecology, but at present it can do so by measuring the societal, financial or environmental impact. People with these degrees can end up doing anything from teaching to lobbying, going on for a law degree and taking it all to court, or actually controlling the costs of the research and development.
The responsibilities that come with this new profession are also fairly diverse thanks to the new corporations entering the resource sustainability industry. It not only involves leading a team of skilled professionals, but also communicating to those who don’t understand the importance of your position. For example, they will want to know the difference of carbon credits and taxes, and how these are becoming tradable commodities, what are the cost advantages of sustainable energy and how an ecological disaster somewhere else can cause economic distress where they are located.
Those interested in becoming a policy manager should have strong high school grades in both business-related subjects and environmental sciences. Strong written and oral communication skills are also absolutely essential.
As environmental policy is considered an interdisciplinary profession, ones undergraduate work should be aimed towards the student’s strength. If one is strong in the sciences, go for a 4-year degree in an environmental science with as many business or communications courses one can fit in. If one is more into public policy or economics, make that your major. A good idea is to sit down with an on campus or online college’s career counselor to help get things off the ground. It might not even hurt to consult with schools that offer a Masters in the subject.
One thing that is happening is a number of schools have Environmental Policy program, both from brick and mortar and online colleges. It’s also considered a STEM occupation, so financial assistance is not only out there from standard federal/state programs, but from the National Science Foundation and similar organizations.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that environmental consultants earn a median salary of $899 per week, while governmental agency managers earn a median annual salary of $65,570. It also predicts there will be keen competition for positions within the environmental industry into the next decade. However, as more emphasis is placed on environmental awareness and conservation, the Bureau projects new positions will also be created.
Still, whether it’s trying to control the economic and environmental cost of the BP Oil leak, trying to restructure the nation’s power grid or trying to determine the maximum yield of farmland without stripping it bare, there appears to be a lot of work in the waiting for Environmental Policy Managers. In return, anyone in the profession should expect a solid career. Earning a degree in technology in Environmental Policy and Management through college degree or accredited degree will help towards your desired career.
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