An environmentalist will usually make efforts toward environmental goals or work for businesses and organizations that support environmental efforts toward natural resource conservation. There are a variety of jobs and efforts that someone can have or put forth in the context of promoting environmental goals. An environmentalist working for a large corporation might promote environmental initiatives that save the company money, increasing the likelihood that such ideas will be accepted, whereas someone working for an environmental organization might distribute educational fliers or protest the destruction of a natural park or body of water.
While many people call themselves environmentalists, a professional environmentalist is someone who works to further the various goals of environmental preservation and conservation on a professional level. Someone with these attitudes and goals could simply recycle the materials he or she uses, reduce the amount of energy or water consumed, and reuse rather than dispose of various household objects. While all of these things can help promote environmental causes, they aren’t always the same as what someone who works professionally in the field would do.
A professional environmentalist would most likely work for a private company or a non-profit organization dedicated to environmental issues, or as a solo activist. Given many environmentalists’ attitudes toward major corporations, corporate environmentalists may appear to be an oxymoron at first. This type of environmentalist usually works for a large corporation or company and looks for ways to reduce the company’s environmental impact. He or she could work with various departments within a company to reduce paperwork and convert systems to digital storage and mail, find ways to reduce pollution produced by manufacturing plants, and find ways to use office space in an environmentally friendly manner.
An environmentalist could also work for an environmental organization and promote environmental awareness on a daily basis. This can range from handing out leaflets and flyers to writing press releases and organizing concerts to raise public awareness about a particular issue. An environmentalist working for a group might also help organize a protest or appear on television to spread the message of his or her group to others.
Lone environmentalists can work in similar ways to a professional environmentalist within an environmental organization. However, these individuals can also take more extreme measures, such as sabotaging deforestation-related construction equipment and attempting to stop whalers through direct interference. While these individuals may produce noticeable results, they frequently work in illegal ways, which may be viewed negatively by those working to spread a more moderate environmental message.