The 9 to 5 Environmentalist

Frinn* loves Friday nights. That's when she can hit the downtown watering hole to let her hair down and drown the harsh pressures of her work-week in bottomless Mojitos. Weekdays, after all, can be oh-so draining.

Her father was slightly disappointed that she didn't take to engineering like he did in college, but she did get into a vastly well-reputed university and that's all that needs to be said to his co-workers at holiday parties, right? So what if she majored in Environmental (instead of Computer) Science? She could write you a research proposal about her summer project in Thailand, incorporating its ultimate impact on the state of global warming knowledge, as well as how it can put an end to elephant poaching that would make you want to pencil in her name on the ballot during presidential elections.

A typical workday in the life of Frinn begins with a glass of organic pomegranate and starfruit elixir (bought in bulk at $7.00/half gallon at the organic section of the downtown supermarket), watching CNN on her wall-mounted LCD that her dad got her when she moved to the city. Winter is nigh, and she's chilly in her shorts so she walks up to set the thermostat up to 82 degrees F. Oops, its already 8:45, a quick shower and she's off to work. Thankfully it isn't snowing yet, so she can stroll over to her office that is some blocks away, and not take the car.

Work is the same everyday. Looking up some environmental news and choose which news item to bring up at the meeting with the chair, perhaps interviewing a local farmer on the phone, writing a draft of a brief fact-sheet about how burning coal might be leading to global warming. Oh and making sure that at staff meetings about inspiration for future work, she contributes from her own personal experience from the week she spent in Costa Rica after college.

Frinn does define herself as an environmentalist. Among all her friends, she’s affectionately known as 'Greenie' because she joined a think-tank.

I was first introduced to the 9 to 5 environmentalist during my undergraduate years. I had chosen to not study engineering or medicine or business because in my heart of hearts, I found rising sea-levels and disappearing forests to be deeply more concerning and I knew that I wouldn't feel very successful or fulfilled in a life/career that doesn't directly deal with such problems. Having made my choice, I faced a steady stream of "Don't you have any ambition?" "Is there money in that?", "What do you mean 'natural' resources?" Very few understood and even fewer appreciated why, despite the enviable GPA, I was heading for tree hugging.

I believed that being an environmentalist was simply a way of thinking or way of living and not just a label that you can attach to yourself to make it easier for others to categorize you. That notion was shelved away for being naïve when I came to college.

I met several individuals who confessed that the major was "easier than trying to get into the engineering college or staying a pre-med". There were also those who "got into an Ivy league, man!! Who cares about the major?" Thankfully though, there were many students who truly were environmental scientists in every way and were probably greener in their thoughts and actions than I can ever be. But, as comforting and inspiring was the presence of the latter group, the sentiments of the former couldn't be forgotten.

Interspersed by lakes and waterfalls, on a campus that is idyllia right out of a Wordsworth sonnet, several of these students often avoided walking to class by the short, woody stroll and opted instead to take the longer bus route, or worse yet, drive. Undergraduate meals and housing plans, a fixed fee which was part of the monthly college bill that went home, would mean that all electronics, lights, and where available, air-conditioning would be left on in dorm rooms, all the time. During meal times, a significant amount of the grand banquet presented by our dining halls would be wasted. I was shocked to see how many of my academic peers would pile on their tray enough food for three, peck at a third of it and throw away the rest. Despite quick heating, water would be left raining from the showers with the claim that it’s not warm enough until it has run for some time.

But, these were the same people who would take part in class discussions about the fate of the world's environment, and participate in exercises designed to hone their critical thinking skills for when they are in management positions in the near future. They would have to deliberate, make a case for, plan and write proposals on issues such as whether it is wise to take away village livelihoods and incomes by fencing in forests to protect wildlife or how much should governments invest in renewable resources. In classes, they would do brilliantly, write eloquently and be beacons of scholarly virtue from morning till dusk. However, their environmental sensibilities would not be reflected in many areas of their lives outside of the classroom.

Years have passed since the pickled reptile samples and the thick management plans that would resist even the most powerful staplers. We are now a part of the "real" world that each student dreads and I find that for some, the anomaly presented above has carried on from student life into adult careers. It made me wonder how many 9 to 5 environmentalists are really out there? I am truly very happy that this is not evident in a strong majority of my colleagues, professional peers and friends. I am constantly inspired and in awe of their work and their dedication to the environment and poverty alleviation. However, I still can’t help but think whether or not every tree-hugger like me is that fortunate.


*Purely fictitious character. Any resemblance to actual persons is coincidental.