Careers in Sustainability
Sustainability degrees are springing up in a number of fields – engineering, social sciences and the humanities – to cater to the growing number of professions which crave sustainability at its core.
Keep in mind that this growth isn’t exclusive to researchers or biologists— opportunities which are springing up either! According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “although their specific career paths might differ, sustainability professionals promote environmental protection, social responsibility, and profitability.”
Sustainability professionals may help their employers conserve resources (from energy to water to dollars) and improve efficiency; create new, more environmentally and socially responsible technologies
When talking about sustainability numerous people associate it with just protecting the environment. Sustainability is far more than going green, but it is a principle that many companies have adopted and have worked persistently to improve over the last several years. Sustainability is defined as the ability to continue a behavior indeterminately, but it also includes improving human life overall. Sustainable development is broken down into three pillars: economic, social, and environmental (Harich & Bangerter, 2014). Economics is the study of how people use resources, which correlates to the goal of sustainable development by using resources to their full potential (Laszlo, C., & Zhexembayeva, N., 2011, p. 60). Economic sustainable development allows companies to give their customers what they want without overusing mutual resources. Social development combines the social world with the physical realm to provide a good quality of life (Benoit, 2010, p. 7). Social sustainability focuses on the well-being of people and their communities. Environmental development, the most recognizable, includes protecting the environment by reducing pollution, recycling, switching of electronic devices when not in use, etc. All three of these pillars make up what is known as sustainable development. In this paper, I researched a company and their involvement in sustainability and how it applies to the
The way I see it with the constant problems we have surrounding our earth, a career involving the environment will always be increasing in the jobs demand. With the problems we have here today, such as our ice caps melting, meteors getting crashed into us, our sun potentially exploding, or our ozone layer simply evaporating, I hope I will be someone who can contribute to stopping a disaster such as those from happening. I don’t know much of the career I would have to go into to begin these goals of mine, but I do know that all these different careers involve a lot of studies, and classes like environmental studies, and other science classes.
“Sustainability is a matter of long term development” (Fowler, J., Sept.24th), this is the simplest statement describes the word “sustainability” till the end of the third week lecture. After two weeks’ lecture classes and ESS lecture classes, the concept that “sustainability is not a certain technology or policy” (Introduction to Environment, Sustainability and Society, slide79) is founded in my mind. Mind Shift organization and professor Matthew Schnurr’s research taught me more specifically that sustainability is not only about the environment.
Although there is no formal definition for the term, individuals have tried to define sustainability according to their function or area of study. The term “sustainability,” once an obscure ecological concept, has now been adopted by many in the business world to connote the principles of social and environmental responsibility (Joseph Fiksel, Jonathan Low and Jim Thomas). Further, sustainability can be seen through the eyes of business as a way to create value. More likely than not, the term sustainability can be linked to the ability of decreasing costs, wastes and inefficiencies. According to the vice president of General Electric,
growth. Environmental sustainable helps support smart growth, retain residents in our county and preserve opportunities for future generations. Environmental sustainability is important because humans tend to be bad at systems thinking. Environmental sustainability professionals are employed to help balance, or improve, the human role in environmental
Sustainability from a strategic business perspective is the potential for the long-term well-being of the natural environment, including all biological entities, as mutually beneficial interactions among nature and individuals, organizations, and business strategies. (O.C Ferrell, Fraedrich, Ferrell, 2015). Business sustainably is often defined as managing the triple bottom line – a process by which companies manage their financial, social and environmental risks, obligations and opportunities. These three impacts are sometimes referred to as profits, people and planet. (Business sustainability definition from financial times lexicon, no date). This essay will discuss the idea of sustainability being an important element within a businesses and its core strategies and the importance of it within different businesses. Secondly, this study will look at how different stakeholders are affected and influenced by sustainability as this could be seen as a catalyst to improving the environment as a whole and. Then this study will look at how businesses not focusing
Sustainability is an idea that we have been taught in different connotations that has influenced the way I choose to live by. To me, sustainability is preserving ourselves and our environment to live comfortably but also to preserve the world around us for future generations to live comfortably. I plan to take these thoughts into college with me by pursuing a degree in nursing where I know I can learn those skills through the Lutes’ program offered. Being a nurse and graduating from a program that teaches the important values
Environmental sustainability is the ability to be able to continue a certain process or use a certain resource indefinitely (Mason). For example, if you’re using a certain resource and you know it’s going to run out one day, that resource is unsustainable. Sustainability is important because a lot of the practices that we do in modern society from agriculture, to energy source, and even development, are completely depleting our resources. This practices were also made to accommodate our fast pace lifestyle, everything is built and made to be fast and cheap, nothing is made to last anymore. Many people are realizing the importance of being sustainable and the world is slowly changing to sustainable practices like Renewable energy and sustainable agriculture, while also changing the fast and easy mind set to a more “reusable” one. Brevard College has boarded the sustainable train of the world by making several additions to the school like solar panels, alternative transportation options, a Fair trade and organic Coffee shop, and several environmental based clubs. Although they are heading in the right direction, many changes still need to be made in order to achieve a well-developed sustainable campus.
The conversation of introducing environment sustainability actions on campus were solemnly expressed through individuals who had concern for the environment. In the book, “Greening the Ivory Tower” by Sarah Creighton, the author mentions ways students can take action to maintain a healthy environment. Creighton introduces the benefits of protecting the campus from harmful effects of abusing the environment around them. By doing so, she allows the readers to be aware of environmental issues in addition to providing solutions to these problems. Creighton claims, “Five ingredients are key to successful university action: . . . (2) university commitment and demonstrated support for
Ever since I was a young child, I had a passion for nature. Aided by my parents, this drive was always fueled by day hikes, week long tenting trips, beach days, and long walks in the woods. This exposure to nature made me realize how precious and fragile it was. My passion for nature then escalated into a passion for the environment and protecting it. After taking Environmental Science at high school my junior year, I was able to blossom that passion for environmental protection into a reality with the inception of the Sustainability Squad. The sustainability Squad is an environmental awareness club who’s mission is, “promoting a sustainable lifestyle in and around York high school by spearheading initiatives such as the garden center and
Sustainability is the foundation upon which resilient and adaptive design was built. It “is based on a simple and long-recognized factual premise: Everything that humans require for their survival and well-being depends, directly or indirectly, on the natural environment” (Sustainability and the US EPA). Concern for the environment grew in the 1960’s, and after the creation of the EPA in 1970 the term sustainability came into use. “Sustainable development emerged as a result of significant concerns about the unintended social, environmental, and economic consequences of rapid population growth, economic growth, and consumption of natural resources.” (Sustainability and the US EPA). In the U.S., the history of sustainability is rooted in American
I hold a degree MSc Environmental Science, Technology, and Society granted by The University of Glasgow. The course provided me with tools to understand the implications of technological solutions, either on nature and society. It also improved my career as a communication specialist. Not only on technology subjects but with a complete knowledge to communicate sustainable issues
Therefore, information in this article is still useful today. This article is also not yet 10 years old or older; it still has recent and useful information on how some universities are participating in environmental sustainability. Like how it shows that it is some universities policies that are showing more of a drive toward integrating environmental sustainability into universities “rather than that [of] state, national, or international [policies]” (Ralph and Stubbs
Sustainability is a topic that has become very important in recent years. Sustainability is defined as, “the ability to continue a defined behavior indefinitely.” ("Finding and Resolving the Root Causes of the Sustainability Problem", 2014)
Every living being are directly or indirectly depend on natural environment. Sustainability helps to balance financial, social, and environmental factors to facilitate responsible business decision making over the immediate and long term. . Sustainability refers to meeting the needs of present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (Oxford University press 1987, p.43). Sustainability is also being protective and aware of use of natural resources and development that meets the need of present and everything that is need for our survival and well being depends, directly or indirectly on our natural environment. According to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Sustainability is