To mainly environmentlists: What does an enviromentlist acually do?

Question

Yes, I know they save the enviroment, but how and who pays them? A doctor gets paid monthly, is that the same with an environmentlist? What do they acually do to save the enviroment and get food on their tables?

Answer 1

We volunteer-work on good will, and while some watch TV shows, or enjoy their afternoon latte, we work for our cause
Everyone does what s/he can. These who can grow environmentally friendly plants, do it, and teach others how to do it. Those who have studied hard and know how to preserve energy, well, develop methods to preserve it (many are extremely well paid for that, I know a guy who develops a environmentally friendly heating system and gets more money than my whole department from sponsors), and tell the others how to do it.
My major is Japanese studies, so while in Japan, I also observe how Japanese preserve their natural resources, their recycle policy, the way they keep their country clean, and try to spread the word.

Answer 2

An environmentalist may or may not be working in the environmental field. A Doctor saving lives could in fact be an environmentalist. Think if it less as a job and more as a life descriptor. If people want to do jobs that have positive impacts on the environment there are many options. From water quality monitors, to engineers, to shop owners.

Environmentalists have existed for a long time. Alot longer than Live Earth, or Al Gore, or CF light bulbs. Ignore anyone who would turn against their responsibility as a good steward of this world because of some petty grudge against a political party or group of people from L.A.

Answer 3

Environmentalism is not about money. In fact its not even about doing anything. To me, being a true environmentalist is more about what you DON'T do than what you do do.

Its about putting the environment before everything else - its more a matter of priorities than anything specific. One has to think about the consequences of everything that one does and everything that one buys or participates in on an every day basis. Nothing less will do.

There is an alarming amount of damage associated with 'everyday' activities. We need to re-think our priorities and a lot of the things that we take for granted as normal.

I'm not going to go around telling everyone what to do (there's enough of those kinds of people already), instead I focus on making changes to my own lifestyle AND I tell people what I've done and make sure that I let them know that most of those lifestyle changes are actually making my life better, not worse.

There's this idea that changing our lifestyles is a difficult thing and that there is a huge 'cost' associated with it but its really not true. Most of the changes that I have made save me money, provide me with more free time to enjoy myself and benefit my health as well as the health of those around me...

...otherwise we work for a living (for example I make sure that I have a job that isn't based on harming the planet and I make sure that I can cycle to work - I'm a teacher and an everyday cyclist and an environmentalist - and by the way I don't miss my the car that I used to drive and I'm happier, healthier and I have more disposable income, not to mention that I can eat as much as I like and still stay in good shape)

Answer 4

GOOD QUESTION

I was a consultant for the local Government ,but that totally collapsed last week and the buildings are now under siege,
the president is in hiding
the department of Ecology got lost somewhere in there .
But the work here was insignificant anyway ,trying to persuade people to be Eco friendly,in a place where Beer is much more important than the Environment
,
Now i am helping to design a school for sustainable agriculture ,that is solar powered ,in the sticks near Acapulco.

And i have talked to a lot of school kids about being Eco Friendly and the Importance there off.,who visit my garden ,because i am the only park in town.

I have made some parks, many gardens ,all following Permaculture principles

In Africa i developed places for Eco tourism
and set up Animal ,management,and made food gardens for some poor villages

Environment is never in Isolation ,there are always people near by who are screwing it up mainly for survival,so that they can eat,
So to save the Environment we must first save the locals
give them alternatives to make a living ,

In Oaxaca i live with the Mazatecca Indios ,setting up food production and teaching them how to look for and utilize their resources,to stop them from planting corn on very steep slopes that always ended in land slides after a few year destroying the mountainsides and the forest that covered them ,forever.
being paid a pittance by an NGO.
but is was very interesting

Eco tourism is one of the best ways to rescue and safeguard Natural treasures.
where the incoming money goes straight into the local communities ,and they are also employed with in the concept ,as guides,Hotel and services staff etc.

Sometimes we are lucky with a big development project ,or private development for some rich guy.that pays well for a while ,

But then ending up helping the poor again after,until the money ran out .

But there are thousands of types of Environmentalist
the only qualification one really needs is to be a friend of the planet and to be doing something on its behalf.

There are many scientific Environmentalist (biologists,zoologists,microbiologists ,geologists etc.)
who work for Universities or the government .and who work on behalf of the local ,regional or National governments ,privately or for Ecology departments
And each country has several environmental departments in the National government .In Mexico it is Semernap ,Profeppa and a few more
These get paid the same as an engineer.

But this quest to save Nature becomes harder everyday
the biggest demon on the Horizon right now is the production of Ethanol,with massive deforestation

How can we counter that
to save the Environment has become an impossible job
expanding populations ,and agriculture are tearing at the edges of Mamie Nature.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AvUAx1jv_2cZ55xa_yDdw27sy6IX?qid=20070628134210AAuQYQr

all we can do is to slow it down and the best chance is to preserve bits of it with millionaires buying vasts tracks of Nature privately ,because Government policies change with each election.

sorry for the book,got carried away
that is another thing Environmentalists do convey the message.
Here are my answers related to Environment
http://answers.yahoo.com/my/qa/index;_ylt=As3j12urDmGwCNxuKVW1sxLsy6IX?link=starred

Answer 5

Environmentalists may or may not work in a related field. Sometimes they are trained volunteers, sometimes people simply interested in a cause, or the movement.

Others take that interest and train as a biologist, ecologist, park ranger, or dozens of other professions where they can help implement change from within.

What do they do? They write letters, organize or man protests, disseminate information, read books, journals, magazines, etc. They inform themselves and try to inform others. Professionally, they conduct research, implement restoration projects and enforce law, amongst other things.

The term is very broad, and sometimes poorly understood and misused. It generally refers to someone who advocates for the preservation, restoration, or improvement of the natural environment.

Answer 6

I thought they just guilted the little people for driving cars while they are whisked around on their helicopters and private jets. But maybe that is just Al Gore and his celebrity enviornmentalists.

Answer 7

I don’t really know, but I would assume that a lot of money comes in grants.

Answer 8

They probably work in bookstores, harassing people who buy sensible books by conservative authors.