Environmental Science and Jobs for the Future
Susan Smith Nash, Ph.D.
As the global economy undergoes a profound metamorphosis, and then struggles to reinvent itself, how can we be assured that both economic growth and life on earth are sustainable?
One of the most positive responses to the current economic uncertainty has been the stated plan to use aggressive fiscal policy to create jobs, and to build infrastructure that will result in increased productive capacity. For the elearner, perhaps the most exciting aspect of this is to be able to identify where the jobs will be -- next year, and presumably in the next 5 to 10 years. According to the announced plans, the projects will be located in infrastructure (roads, bridges, airports, ports, rail transport), energy (wind, geothermal, solar, and green fossil fuels), education (vocational-technical, retraining, higher education), health (universal health, home health care).
The one thing that unites all the areas is a need for grounding in environmental science so that the learner understands how the activities of all the areas have a direct impact on life on earth.
As a result, probably the one course that brings all of this together is environmental science. Equipped with the information from environmental science, you'll be a problem-solver and critical thinker across literally all disciplines, and you'll be able to participate in conversations, debates, and planning with individuals from different sectors of the economy, across the globe.
A Powerful Way of Viewing and Measuring the World: Scientific Thinking
What's so great about creating multiple working hypotheses, collecting and evaluating data, and testing your hypotheses? Learning to think scientifically allows you to sift through data, and to learn new ways to perceive and evaluate the world. With any luck, you'll be able to start to see where and when evidence does not support people's ideas (or the conclusions they leap to). You'll be able to participate in worldwide collective endeavors to create a better solutions, and avoid the mistakes of the past.
*The first element is the ability to define science and describe the steps involved in the scientific process
*You'll learn to distinguish among a scientific hypothesis, scientific theory, and scientific law (law of nature).
* You'll be able to describe the scientific principles of sustainability, including biodiversity, solar energy, population density, and nutrient cycling.
Sustainable Life on Earth: Health, Environmental, Economic Coordination
Could polluted water, air, and soil spell the end of the world as we know it? We all know that the answer to that question is a resounding "Yes." But, where do we go from here? Making sure that economic growth plans, will result in sustainable job creation requires an individual to understand the interconnectedness of the environment. The individual has to understand that humans have an impact -- communities as well as individuals. You'll learn about
*Ecological footprints.
*Ecosystems, food chains and food webs.
*Organism and species.
Economic "Quick Fixes" Could Be Environmentally Devastating: What Do We Do Next?
Looking at creating plans to stimulate growth and development requires a "big picture" view. We must recognize the interconnectedness of all communities. Further, we have to recognize that the consequences of credit crises and global economic uncertainty could lead to quick fixes that could be environmentally devastating.
*Population, habitat, and biological community
*The fragility fo the places where we live
*Deserts, grasslands, forests
*Aquatic life zones: coastal zones, estuaries, wetlands, lakes, streams
Biodiversity
What does biodiversity mean, and why does it matter as we try to restructure our lives, jobs, economy, systems?
By taking a course in environmental science, the learner comes to realize that losing biodiversity could lead to huge ecological disasters -- ones that are severe enough to endanger water supplies, crops, and the ability of humans to produce enough food to survive.
Biodiversity requires us to look at the way that species interact -- within groups and between groups. If we study competition, predation, parasitism, mutualism and commensalism, can we think of new ways to create our own human organizations and set groundrules?
Cities: What's So Bad Cbout Rural-Urban Migration?
In a word, extinction.
Urban areas are not sustainable. The learner who has not taken a course in environmental science may not understand this, though. They do not realize that not only must urban dwellers bring in food, water, energy, and building supplies, they must also find ways to deal with almost incomprehensible levels of waste. Urban growth requires enormous resources and planning. Unfortunately, countries experiencing rural-urban migration find that the cities quickly turn into a two-sided coin: one side has shiny, exciting, burgeoning commercial enterprises; the other is a hard, grimy place that lacks sanitation, health services, housing, energy, water, food, and safety. The urban challenges must be addressed. If you've taken a course in environmental science, you'll be equipped to participate in the conversation and to even propose solutions.
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While you have a chance, check into your school's environmental science courses. If your school offers more than own course, talk to your advisor and find out if there is a way for you take all of them and apply them to your major.
One cannot overestimate the value of environmental science as you give yourself the tools to participate in the new jobs and programs designed to stimulate and transform our global economy.