Our environment is in trouble and that harsh reality means more jobs for
environmental engineers. But less than two to three percent of all engineers
have the training and experience required for this specialty, says William
Anderson, executive director of the American Academy of Environmental Engineers.
"There are 10 openings for every one environmental engineering graduate."
This is a big change from the early days of environmental engineering.
Back then, many people thought it was a bad career choice.
"It was frustrating because I worked for people who didn't have the
appreciation for environmental work and where it was going," says Anderson.
"I recall one guy saying he thought environmental work was a flash in the
pan!" Now, the majority of work at that firm is related to environmental engineering.
People are drawn to this field because of the importance of the work. "We
can rationalize that, with over 5.8 billion people [on Earth], some other
person can [take care of the problems]," says University of Michigan environmental
engineering professor Maris Gilles. "But the fact is, engineers are in the
best position to provide solutions designed to preserve Earth's many
resources. Scientists can determine if the environment of the world is good
or bad, or is getting better or worse. They can also carry out research to
expand the technical knowledge base.
"Politicians can pass laws and make speeches. The public at large can,
and should, voice concern," she says. "But it's uniquely engineers who
can transform technical know-how and laws into environmental solutions."
Environmental engineer Mike Davis says today's environmental engineering
consultants must do more than find solutions that eliminate a problem. They
must also do so in a cost-efficient way and meet regulatory restrictions at
the same time. "We try to see what's in the client's best interests.
If the clients can do some of the work on their own, we get them to do that.
That keeps their costs down. We focus in on a few areas and try to do those
very well."
Another thing that can help ensure success in the field is adaptability.
"All of the positions I've had have been different," says Peggy Layne,
a consultant.
"The environmental field is relatively young, and is changing very fast.
It's important to have a variety of experiences and be ready and willing
to change your approach. You need to collect information from a wide variety
of sources, apply judgment in non-routine situations and work with people
from a wide variety of backgrounds."
Layne was awarded a scholarship to Vanderbilt University in Nashville,
Tennessee, which has an engineering program in environmental protection and
pollution control. "It was a cross between civil and chemical engineering,
which made it challenging when I later took my professional engineer exam
for civil engineering because I didn't have the standard civil courses
such as transportation or structures. There are still not that many full-fledged
environmental programs."
Layne believes that despite the rapid advances that have been made in preventing
and repairing environmental damage, there is still much demand for environmental
engineering.
"We've made a lot of progress over the past 20 years, especially in
the area of water pollution. But we need to be continually vigilant. There
have been many positive advances made since the environmental regulations
first came out, and I don't want to see them rolled back.
"As the population increases, there's even more need for those regulations.
They are just as valid now as they were then. Pollution reduction, and engineering
to prevent the pollution in the first place, is the wave of the future. As
is recycling."
Davis wholeheartedly agrees. "Environmental engineers have always had the
unique opportunity to touch the everyday lives of those around them. They
design, plan and construct the buildings in which we live and work, and they
provide solutions to some of our worst environmental problems."