Environmental Degrees for Green Living Advocates

The surge of environmentalism has forced fields to consider their environmental effects. It has also produced new fields that are all about the environment. This is good news for your green degree options.

Environmental Physical Science Degrees

Many environmental degrees are within the natural and physical science realm. The natural sciences include climatology. This will allow you to study climate models, which predict the affects of greenhouse gases. Other natural science degrees focus on soil, water, or air quality. There are environmental management degrees which focus on things like park management and environmental consulting. Most agriculture departments now emphasize best management practices (BMP's), or sustainable agriculture, making them an option for a green degree.

Social Science Green Fields

Many green degree options have sprung from the fusing of social and physical science to solve environmental problems. This has arisen from the realization that complex environmental issues are solved within social arenas. It's not easy to adjust the behavior of individuals and institutions. This is true even when the behaviors have obvious and immediate affects on ecosystem and human health. Social science departments include diverse professionals and academics that have come together in the name of sustainability.

Environmental Sociology is described by socialresearchmethods.net as "the study of the reciprocal interactions between the physical environment, social organization, and social behavior." It is a sub-discipline of sociology.

Conservation Psychology is an emerging green field. It doesn't consider itself a sub-discipline of psychology. Conservationpsychology.org, defines it as "the scientific study of the reciprocal relationships between humans and the rest of nature, with a particular focus on how to encourage conservation of the natural world."

Studying environmental policy is a great way to put passion for the environment into action. Degrees in this field lead to regulatory jobs in government agencies such as the EPA or nonprofit agencies. You can also get an environmental policy law degree and be an environmental attorney.

Environmental or Ecological Economics is a sub-discipline gaining in popularity. It focuses on the best ways to deliver services and goods to people, while protecting our natural resources.

Renewable Energy Degrees

University's and community colleges offer degrees in sustainable and renewable technologies. Some teach very specific skills, like how to repair wind turbines. Others provide a wide range of knowledge about technologies and how they may be implemented.

Green Courses

It's common to find green courses within any degree option that you choose. While these degrees may not be all about sustainability, they recognize the necessity of protecting the environment.

An example is Landscape Architecture which often has courses specifically on low impact design (LID). This is designing with the goal of not interfering with natural cycles. Limiting negative impacts on our watersheds is a focus of LID.

All of the green degree and environmental degrees fit into what is considered to be the sustainability movement. A thorough background and history of the movement can be found here. Choosing a green career path starts with getting the right education. Take the time to find the program that best fits your needs.

Sources:

http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/Gallery/Neto/Envsoc1.html

http://www.conservationpsychology.org/