I’d love to hear from anyone who works in an environmental/conservation-based job about how you cope with political issues and inaction. Think of climate change, sustainable infrastructure, endangered species listing and protection… the list goes on and on when it comes to issues the government (mostly federal, but also at the state level) seems to frequently ignore or drop the ball on. How do you stay focused and positive? Where do you get your mojo from?
Some people are leaving work with the state government to return to the non-profit or private sectors, or are at least contemplating it. Some may be motivated by money, others by a desire to do more hands-on, in the field work. But some are also frustrated by the slowness at which things advance, or even worse, rolled back. It’s horrible to lose talented, educated, dedicated folks because of these reasons. Have you recently left an environmental job because of similar frustrations? Let me know.
I’d love to hope that things will change soon – that Obama will deny the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, that bat habitat will be protected to try to give them a refuge from white nose syndrome, that more funds will be set aside for climate change adaptation projects – but in my eternal pessimism I cannot hold out much hope. So please inspire me. Let me know how you stay motivated to protect our planet regardless of what happens on the Hill.
For the Conservation Curious 