Career Activism
Table of Contents
Introduction
We all need to eat, and many of us struggle to find time with a job to also focus on environmental issues. So why not get paid to be part of the change our planet so desperately needs?! More and more of us are leaving our old corporate jobs to start or join businesses and organizations that exist to make a real, lasting difference. Consider joining us, and see what kind of an impact you can make!
Job by Field
Click the Job Finder button to find a career you can feel passionate about. If you scroll to the bottom of the page to find out about training opportunities and certification programs.
Conservation
Design
This might include designing more human- and wildlife-friendly communities, designing technology, parks, infrastructure, or water management systems.
Education
This is an important position from which to shape our cultures and future the minds of generations. Consider using tools such as those offered by The Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network (CLEAN) which offers resources aimed at different classroom levels.
Food Production
Food production employs a large percentage of humanity, and our dietary footprints are growing exponentially as we use up our fresh water resources faster than they can regenerate, deforest faster than we can replant, and produce a growing percent of emissions.
Click the Farmer Actions button to get some ideas of what strategies and production methods can help the planet while allowing you to earn a living.
Gardening/Landscaping
This is can be a cheap and relaxing hobby, a way to produce your own food, but it can also be a way to help local wildlife survive or even flourish. Not everyone has the time or the physical ability to garden, and most professional gardeners don't seem to understand best practices to keep plants or our environment healthy, so providing training or gardening services that do focus on these concepts will help create greener communities.
The buttons below offer suggestions and resources to help you get started, or (if you already garden) to step up our Planeteer game.
Hactivism
This doesn't mean hacking in the same way as portrayed in the media! "Hacking" is a term in the tech community that traditionally referred to the act of creating something new out of what little resources they had at the time: "Hacking together a solution."
If technology, programming, or web-design are your thing, then we invite you to join with existing organizations like the VeganHactivists who work in teams to create amazing resources like these!
Lawyers
Now more than ever lawyers around the world are fighting huge corporations for the crimes they have committed against ecosystems and communities.
The Chancery Lane Project: Start Using Climate Aligned Clauses in Your Contracts "Access the clauses and tools you need to align your contracts with net zero"
Tools for Lawyers
Laws & Infrastructure
USA
The League of American Bicyclists: Modal Legislation "The League’s legal affairs committee — made up of bicycle lawyers from across the country — is working to create model legislation that can be used to improve bicyclists’ safety and comfort in your community.
Model legislation builds off of the best practices seen in current state legislation and looks to the future for improvements to existing laws. Each model law found on this page is a starting point for advocacy efforts, legislative negotiation, and future enforcement. As we work to create a Bicycle Friendly America℠ these models can guide states in the right direction."
Law Organizations Protecting Earth & Her Inhabitants
Politics
If we want stronger ethics and more concern about the environment in our political system, then we need to make sure people who prioritize those things are hired and elected into government.
Research
Citizen Science
If you can't go the professional route, you may still enjoy joining in the Citizen Scientist community.
For Teachers
Educators can help kids start young by introducing them to some of the following:
Vending
Since people will always need things, vendors are in a unique position to help people get access to eco-friendly products that will both improve their lives and help the planet. Special care can be paid to not only what products are made of and under what conditions, but the type of packaging too.
Zero-Waste and Bulk Shops
Zero Waste Organizations
The Zero Waste Network has resources for Zero Waste companies and customers.
Click the button to learn where to find zero-waste shops near you, and see if there's
North America
USA
Waste Management
This is vital to developing a circular economy, reducing emissions, and combatting pollution.
Click the Waste Management button to learn about specific types of waste, how and where they can be resold, upcycled, recycled, or disposed of.
Zero-Waste Training & Resources
Zero Waste Hubs: Developing a Nationwide Resource Recovery Network "One of the goals of the Zero Waste Network is to develop a nationwide network of resource recovery centres using local scale Zero Waste Hubs as the basic building blocks."
Zero Waste Network: Training "The Zero Waste Network has developed a series of courses with the goal of increasing capability within the zero waste sector and developing participants’ technical and analytical skills to engage with a variety of zero waste and resource recovery activities."
Zero Waste Network: Resources "In 2015 CRN received Auckland Council Waste Minimisation and Innovation funding to develop a series of resource recovery fact sheets. These are introductory level resources that aim to give those individuals and organisation new to the sector a sound understanding in some of the basic concepts and language of the sector. They may be useful to print off individually or to direct new staff members to read."
Precious Plastic is a global network of recyclers and creators who are working together to help everyday people become a part of the recycling revolution.
Education & Training Opportunities
North America
Climate Tech LaunchPad program helps Black and Latinx innovators and owners of climate tech businesses to overcome the barriers that stand in their way of growing and scaling climate and cleantech solutions, especially in disadvantaged communities."
Dream Justice Cohort "is a training program created to provide justice-impacted leaders with the skills they need to change the criminal justice system – from organizing and advocacy to media skills. Participants are joined by our talented staff and previous cohort graduates and receive the most innovative training for justice leaders across the country."
USA
Justice Next Cohort "a skill-building and leadership development program to empower and equip the next generation of individuals who are impacted by the criminal justice system or the climate crisis. We are now accepting applications from eligible BIPOC young adults between 18 - 24 years of age living in Sacramento, California."
Maps
International
More People Care About Climate Change than You Think "The majority of people in every country support action on climate, but the public consistently underestimates this share."
Grants
International
The Pollination Project (TPP) "is a vegan foundation that offers seed funding to grassroots activists working to build a kinder, more compassionate world for human & non-human animals.
TPP focuses on early stage ideas and funds individuals directly. Over the years, they’ve seen the power of bottom-up, community-led grassroots activism. Through “pollination philanthropy”– a democratic model of peer-to-peer decision-making — TPP works with a global network of grantees, community partners, and volunteer advisors to identify extraordinary project leaders who, due to the grassroots nature of their work, are often not in a position to receive funding from other foundations or institutions.
They make micro grants 365 days a year to grassroots global change agents and have a growing global community of 4,500 grassroots leaders in 150 countries. They support vegan outreach projects around the world, and have a special program for farmed animal activists in Brazil, India and Mexico. Their goal is to offer not just seed funding, but capacity-building support and connectivity with other activists working in the same geographic or issue area. "
North America
USA
Dream.Org Empathy Network Leadership Fund "The Justice team at Dream.Org is looking to partner with directly impacted leaders at the state and local levels. The Dream.Org Empathy Network Leadership Fund is an opportunity to apply for a grant of up to $2,500 to support your activism. And the sky’s the limit!"
Justice Innovation Prize "is an open call for innovative, impactful, feasible, and scalable ideas to end the cycle of mass incarceration. The Justice Innovation Prize Pitch competition is free and open to the public. Watch the Justice Innovation Prize Documentary."