Science and Math -- Where the Jobs Are

All kinds of people with special knowledge in science and math are being called upon to figure out how to plug the leak; contain the slick threatening the coastline and ocean; and assess the risk and effects on wildlife, eco-systems and residents.

Although such disasters are rare, there is no question: We need more professionals to explore the technology and new practices to prevent such events. And we need more professionals to help in the safe exploration and delivery of alternative energy to supply us with food, shelter and security.

So, if you have an inclination toward science and math, the world needs you in a big way as it continues to move toward green jobs and a green economy.

"The world's population is nearing 7 billion and is expected to reach about 9 billion by 2050. Most scientists and economists doubt that we will be able to provide for the needs of this huge population using the technologies that now maintain our lifestyle. The earth has finite resources for energy and raw materials, and we're using them up at a rate that we cannot sustain forever," according to Occupational Outlook Handbook.

Hence, the movement toward a green economy that, as they say, "can be explained by one of the basic principles of economics: Everything has a cost. When one way of doing business gets too costly, we have to find another way of doing business."

Initiatives such as conservation and green technology "are likely to increase as oil and other resources become scarcer and the effects of global climate change become more evident, and that will mean increasing opportunities for you to find work in a green career," they say.

Here's a peek at some of those opportunities.

• U.S. Department of Energy projects a 47% increase in all energy uses of biofuels in the 10-year period ending 2018. A related occupation is biomass plant technician. These people work in facilities that generate energy from recently living organisms such as wood, grass clippings, landscape trimmings and household garbage. Other related jobs are in hydroelectric plants that generate energy from the force of moving water and geothermal energy facilities that generate energy from the heat within the earth.
• Energy auditors determine where businesses' and homeowners' energy dollars are going and how they can use energy more efficiently. A worker shortage is predicted within the next 10 years, say 72% of the members of the Association of Energy Engineers.
• Environmental restoration planners collaborate with others to process and synthesize "complex scientific data into practical strategies for restoring, monitoring or managing degraded or threatened ecosystems."

These are a few examples of careers that can not only help lift the economy from its doldrums but help lead the earth to a more sustainable future.

Source: USA Today, Andrea Kay, 6/7/10