9781422275429

CAREERS MAKING A DIFFERENCE HELPING TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT

CAREERS MAKING A DIFFERENCE

HELPING ANIMALS HELPING CHILDREN HELPING SENIORS HELPING THOSE IN POVERTY

HELPING THOSE WITH ADDICTIONS HELPING THOSE WITH DISABILITIES

HELPING THOSE WITH MENTAL ILLNESSES HELPING TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT HELPING VICTIMS

CAREERS MAKING A DIFFERENCE HELPING TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT

Amanda Turner

MASON CREST PHILADELPHIA MIAMI

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Copyright © 2020 by Mason Crest, an imprint of National Highlights, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Printed in the United States of America First printing 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

ISBN (hardback) 978-1-4222-4256-8 ISBN (series) 978-1-4222-4253-7 ISBN (ebook) 978-1-4222-7542-9 Cataloging-in-Publication Data on file with the Library of Congress

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TA B L E O F CO N T E N T S Chapter 1: Is a Career Helping to Protect the Environment for You?... 7 Chapter 2: Helping to Protect the Environment: Why It’s Needed .... 13 Chapter 3: Volunteering and Organizations ..................................... 37 Chapter 4: Education, Training, and Qualifications...........................47 Chapter 5: Careers, Salaries, Job Outlook, and Work Satisfaction.....61 Series Glossary of Key Terms .......................................... 74 Organizations to Contact ................................................75 Internet Resources ......................................................... 76 Further Reading ............................................................. 77 Index ..............................................................................78 Author’s Biography, Picture & Video Credits ................... 80 KEY ICONS TO LOOK FOR Words to Understand: These words with their easy-to-understand definitions will increase the reader’s understanding of the text while building vocabulary skills. Sidebars: This boxed material within the main text allows readers to build knowledge, gain insights, explore possibilities, and broaden their perspectives by weaving together additional information to provide realistic and holistic perspectives. Educational Videos: Readers can view videos by scanning our QR codes, providing them with additional educational content to supplement the text. Examples include news coverage, moments in history, speeches, iconic sports moments, and much more!

Text-Dependent Questions: These questions send the reader back to the text for more careful attention to the evidence presented there.

Research Projects: Readers are pointed toward areas of further inquiry connected to each chapter. Suggestions are provided for projects that encourage deeper research and analysis. Series Glossary of Key Terms: This back-of-the-book glossary contains terminology used throughout this series. Words found here increase the reader’s ability to read and comprehend higher-level books and articles in this field.

AWARENESS OF THE CAUSE

Protecting the natural environment is a necessity and a responsibility of society. We must make sure that our natural world is shielded from the damage caused by human activity. It is only relatively recently that we began to understand the fragility of our natural world and the importance of its protection. For those wishing to embark on a career in protecting the environment, they will be participating in creating a cleaner and brighter future for generations to come.

“One of the first conditions of happiness is that the link between man and nature shall not be broken.” – Leo Tolstoy

“Like music and art, love of nature is a common language that can transcend political or social

boundaries.” – Jimmy Carter

“A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt

“The earth will not continue to offer its harvest, except with faithful stewardship.” – John Paul II

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CHAPTER

Is a Career Helping to Protect the Environment for You?

Most people have a worthy cause that they believe in. You can even work in this field yourself by following a career and making a difference in the world around you. • Start out as a volunteer. • Seek out a personal connection in the field. • Develop an inspirational mission statement for yourself. • Find out about the education, training, and qualifications required for your chosen career. • Study job specifications of interest.

• Discuss your goals with your loved ones. • Approach school counselors, charities, and organizations to obtain advice.

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AWARENESS OF THE CAUSE

THE ENVIRONMENT Human activity is impacting the planet in many ways—climate change, deforestation, pollution, and species loss are just some examples. GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE

Greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere. This makes the Earth warmer. Scientific studies show that human activity causes most of these gases to be released into the atmosphere.

• Carbon dioxide is the most common greenhouse gas you hear people talking about. That's because we produce more carbon dioxide than any other greenhouse gas, and it's responsible for most of the warming of the Earth.

GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS FROM HUMAN ACTIVITY

• Greenhouse gases come from all sorts of everyday activities, such as heating homes, agriculture, industry, and driving. • These greenhouse gases don't just stay in one place after they're added to the atmosphere. As air moves around the world, greenhouse gases become globally mixed, which means the concentration of a greenhouse gas

METHANE 17.0%

OTHER GASES 11.9%

CARBON DIOXIDE 64.3%

NITROUS OXIDE 6.0%

like carbon dioxide is roughly the same no matter where you measure it.

FLUORINATED GASES 0.8%

SOURCE: United States Environmental Protection Agency.

SOURCE: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

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TOP ENVIRONMENTAL CHARITIES 1. Union of Concerned Scientists 2. Natural Resources Defense Council 3 Environmental Working Group 4. Greenpeace Fund 5. Friends of the Earth 6. Rainforest Alliance 7. Earthjustice 8. Earth Island Institute 9. The Sierra Club Foundation 10. The Marine Mammal Center

TOXIC CHEMICALS Since 1930, the world’s chemical production had increased 400 fold. Chemicals have made much of modern life possible, but they have also contaminated many of our most important natural environments. • The use of pesticides and fertilizers on farms has increased by 26-fold over the past 50 years, fueling increases in crop production globally.

• The burning of fossil fuels, in both energy plants and vehicles, releases massive amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, causing climate change. Industrial processes also emit particulate matter, such as sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and other noxious gases adding to an increase in poor health. NOISE AND LIGHT POLLUTION Artificial light and noise often drown out natural landscapes. In the Arctic, the sounds of oil and gas explorations are so loud that belugas, bowhead whales, and other sea life have difficulty feeding and breeding. Light pollution disrupts body clock rhythms for both humans and animals alike and may even

contribute to the development of cancer. SOURCE: United States Environmental Protection Agency. DID YOU KNOW?

Nearly 124,000 WWF activists from 49 states reached out to their member of Congress to support a bipartisan bill to take a stand on ocean plastic, and their impressive efforts paid off. SOURCE: World Wildlife Fund.

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AWARENESS OF THE CAUSE

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1

Endangered Species Organizations

Governmental Conservation Organizations

ORGANIZATIONS THAT HELP THE ENVIRONMENT

Conservation Charities

Practical Conservation Groups

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Local Conservation Groups

International Conservation Organizations

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THE NATURAL WORLD NEEDS OUR HELP • Tropical rain forests • Oceans • Rivers • Atmosphere • Endangered species • Low-lying areas • Uplands • Arctic • Antarctica

• Other vulnerable lands

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HELPING TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT

THE BENEFITS OF HELPING A GOOD CAUSE

A HEALTHY HEART A recent study found that there is a significant correlation between helping and the heart’s health. It was found that people who volunteer are about 40 percent less likely to develop high blood pressure as compared to those who do not volunteer. REDUCE STRESS T he act of helping a cause can also help reduce stress. One study found that people who helped charities had lower cortisol levels. The presence of this hormone in the body causes it to create feelings of anxiety and panic, and higher blood pressure levels. In contrast, people that did less for charities were found to have a higher level of the stress hormone in their body. A SENSE OF PURPOSE Helping a cause provides a sense of purpose to an individual. People who volunteer feel that their life is worthwhile and satisfying. This ultimately leads to improved physical and emotional health.

HELPING THE PLANET MAKES YOU HAPPY According to research, people who engage in acts of kindness and giving are happier in general as compared to others. Acts of kindness carried out regularly or even once a week can lead to greater happiness and joy in life. EMOTIONAL HEALTH Studies have also shown that the act of charity results in emotional well- being. The person who gives to charity feels improved self-esteem. This gives a feeling of satisfaction to the individual. In a way, giving to others allows the individual to create a “kindness bank account.” The more kind acts are filled in the account, the better the emotional state of the person.

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HELPING TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT—WHY IT’S NEEDED

PLASTIC STRAW BANS, 2018

Currently, there is a pile of trash floating in the Pacific Ocean that is the size of Texas. Believe it or not, much of this waste is actually plastic drinking straws. Beach cleanup crews report that plastic drinking straws are one of the most common pieces

of trash found on ocean shores. In 2018, many companies and local governments began to ban plastic straws to start to take control of the problem. These companies have either replaced their plastic straws with paper straws or done away with straws altogether. Starbucks, Marriott Hotels, and American Airlines have committed to getting rid of plastic straws. New York City, Hawaii, California, parts of New Jersey, Washington, and Florida all have started the process to ban plastic straws.

Plastic and other waste washing ashore next to the Panama Canal, Panama.

HELPING TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT 12

WORDS TO UNDERSTAND

climate change: a change in global and local weather patterns, largely attributed to ozone layer damage caused by fossil fuels fertile: land that is readily able to grow plants

greenhouse effect: the trapping of the sun’s heat within the Earth’s atmosphere

organism: a living thing, such as a plant, animal, or bacteria

CHAPTER

Helping to Protect the Environment: Why It’s Needed WHY WE SHOULD PROTECT OUR ENVIRONMENT From global warming to mounds of trash floating in our oceans, it’s clear that there is much work to do to save our environment. Some of the problems in the environment today are natural, but others are man-made. It’s up to us as a society to clean up the Earth. There are also a variety of careers for people who want to dedicate themselves to helping the environment. Careers that help the environment span a range of salaries, abilities, and daily work activities. Most professional careers can be modified to help the environment. Interested in becoming a lawyer? Some lawyers and paralegals work with the government on environmental law, determining

HELPING TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT: WHY IT’S NEEDED 13

A DAY IN THE LIFE: BIOLOGIST

what people can and cannot do to the Earth. Some go on to talk to lawmakers about how they can use their power to help the environment. Thinking about becoming a teacher? Environmental science and biology are fields that will allow you to make an impact on your students. Interested in business? All environmental organizations need human resources, finance, and administrative departments, just like any other organization. There is a career path that will blend your career choice and your passion for the Earth into one. First, let’s talk about the environmental issues that are affecting our world today. You’ll notice that many of the problems meld into one another. Just like a human body or in nature, when one system is off balance, other systems are affected as well. CLIMATE CHANGE Climate change , or global warming, is one of the largest threats to our environment today. Some people think that global warming means warmer temperatures throughout the Earth, but it’s much more complicated than Biologists who work in the field spend the majority of their day conducting experiments. They may also observe living creatures to learn more about them. Biologists may notice problems that the creatures are having in their environment. A part of a biologist’s job is to protect wildlife and keep it safe from environmental dangers. A biologist may work with their team to generate new ideas for keeping living things safe. Some biologists work inside a science lab, but some work out in the field with the living things they are studying. This can mean working with plants, animals, or even people. In a lab, a biologist’s day would consist of performing experiments, conducting research, and reporting their research results to others. The job involves a lot of writing and meeting with other scientists.

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HELPING TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT