5 Careers I've Experienced as a Part of the Battle Against Climate Change
- Meera Naveen
- Jun 13
- 5 min read
Updated: Jun 30
Climate change is a pressing challenge, and finding solutions has opened up unique career paths. Throughout my journey, I have encountered diverse roles that, while unconventional, play vital parts in the fight against climate change. In this blog post, I will share five multi-field careers that are making a significant impact.
Environmental Policy Analyst
I began my career as an Environmental Policy Analyst, where I combined my love for environmental science with my interest in public policy. In this role, I analyzed existing environmental laws and proposed new ones aimed at reducing carbon emissions and encouraging the use of renewable energy sources.
Working with government agencies and non-profits, I helped draft real policy recommendations. Seeing our ideas evolve into law was incredibly gratifying! Each day, I engaged in discussions about climate impact and sustainability, making every hour feel purposeful.
This experience taught me how critical it is to understand the details of policy-making. A solid grasp of research, analytical thinking, and effective communication can lead to substantial environmental change.
Urban Agriculture Coordinator
Transitioning from policy work, I became an Urban Agriculture Coordinator. This role allowed me to directly engage with communities to create local farms in urban areas. With about 10% of the world's population currently living in slums, the need for sustainable food production is vital. Our goal was to address food insecurity and cut reliance on long supply chains.
I organized workshops with community members, teaching them how to grow their own vegetables and set up rooftop gardens. The enthusiasm for sustainable food practices astonished me! Each garden we created played a part in decreasing urban heat and enhancing air quality, making cities healthier for everyone.
My experience revealed the power of grassroots movements and how essential community engagement is in the fight against climate change at the local level.
Climate Communications Specialist
Next, I explored Climate Communications, focusing on raising awareness of climate change impacts through education. This role showcased the power of storytelling in making complex scientific ideas relatable and motivating action.
I developed engaging content—like blog posts and multimedia presentations—tailoring them to specific audiences. Collaborating with scientists to simplify their research into compelling narratives was both challenging and fulfilling.
Public perception greatly influences the climate movement. Being part of a team dedicated to inspiring change through effective communication reinforced the belief that knowledge and awareness can empower individuals to take action.
Renewable Energy Technician
My next career path involved becoming a Renewable Energy Technician. In this hands-on role, I worked on the installation and maintenance of solar panels and wind turbines, directly contributing to the shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources.
Being on-site and witnessing energy systems transform was exhilarating. I learned to troubleshoot technical issues and became skilled at reading blueprints. This experience allowed me to see how my work directly reduced carbon footprints.
The renewable energy sector is rapidly growing, with wind energy alone accounting for approximately 9% of total U.S. electricity generation in 2022. The field offers endless opportunities for innovation, making it an exciting choice for anyone passionate about combating climate change.
Sustainability Consultant
Finally, I took on the role of a Sustainability Consultant, collaborating with businesses to develop strategies for minimizing their environmental impact. This role combined business insights with environmental science.
Every day brought unique challenges—conducting sustainability audits, suggesting energy-saving practices, and guiding companies toward greener operations. I discovered that sustainability isn’t just an add-on; it can be a core part of a business strategy.
Seeing companies shift their practices to become more sustainable reinforced my belief that collaboration across departments can lead to outstanding results. Businesses wield significant influence over the environment, and working with them has showcased innovative ways to combat climate change.
Reflections on My Journey
Each of these unconventional careers has shaped my understanding and commitment to the fight against climate change. Through these experiences, I have learned that the path to sustainability is complex and requires various skills and knowledge.
If you are a student interested in making a difference, I encourage you to explore these unique career options. The future of our planet depends on innovative thinkers and passionate advocates ready to tackle the challenges of climate change. Every role matters, and you may discover your own place in this critical mission!
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The above is all
Did you notice?
As I myself am a student, I have never explored any of the careers stated, yet I do warmly support fusing different fields together, experimenting and innovating to open new pathways and to fight the climate crisis! In fact, I will be writing about this by myself in an upcoming post.
Speaking of the above written article, it's my first time using Wix's AI feature, and I won't deny that it provides quality content, in fact just taking a few questions and seconds to generate over 700 words that have a flow and make sense.
AI is increasingly becoming a hot topic in today's world, so much so to the point that it's almost unfair to talk about our future without mentioning artificial intelligence.
As you've seen above, AI has evolved so much to the point that people, students and adults alike, have started to rely on apps like ChatGPT, the AI implemented into search engines and many other features as ways to generate text, do math, create recipes, and so much more. In fact, when ChatGPT was released, just after two months it has amassed 100 million users, and when it experienced its first major outage especially across countries like the U.S, the U.K, India, etc, thousands of complaints were logged. Although I have just started using it recently, I feel guilty of having pulled it up way too often lately to answer questions that usually just need a couple more minutes of research on the internet.
These incidences just reinforce the question: where have critical thinking skills and self-reliance gone, skills needed in communication, research and confidence in a changing world?
When more directly relating to the climate crisis, AI is made possible as of now by its power-intensive centers. ChatGPT itself emits 8.4 tons of carbon dioxide annually, with its projection of amassing 1 billion users by the end of 2025 only going to make it worse.
However, at the same time, there's insight that it can help our mission to make the world a more sustainable place. It can map deforestation and weather patterns especially in underprivileged areas, it can create trackers and be implemented into apps to remove tons of waste from facilities and measure pollution rates, it can suggest recommendations of plausible steps to take.
As of now, the answer to this issue is a simple question to ask yourself when considering using AI: not how can AI help me, but how can I and AI help the world become a better place?
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