Industrial Ecologists
Apply principles and processes of natural ecosystems to develop models for efficient industrial systems. Use knowledge from the physical and social sciences to maximize effective use of natural resources in the production and use of goods and services. Examine societal issues and their relationship with both technical systems and the environment.
Technology Tools
Key Tasks
- Identify environmental impacts caused by products, systems, or projects.
- Identify or develop strategies or methods to minimize the environmental impact of industrial production processes.
- Analyze changes designed to improve the environmental performance of complex systems and avoid unintended negative consequences.
- Conduct environmental sustainability assessments, using material flow analysis (MFA) or substance flow analysis (SFA) techniques.
- Identify sustainable alternatives to industrial or waste-management practices.
- Review research literature to maintain knowledge on topics related to industrial ecology, such as physical science, technology, economy, and public policy.
- Redesign linear, or open-loop, systems into cyclical, or closed-loop, systems so that waste products become inputs for new processes, modeling natural ecosystems.
- Prepare technical and research reports, such as environmental impact reports, and communicate the results to individuals in industry, government, or the general public.
- Monitor the environmental impact of development activities, pollution, or land degradation.
- Examine local, regional, or global use and flow of materials or energy in industrial production processes.
- Build and maintain databases of information about energy alternatives, pollutants, natural environments, industrial processes, and other information related to ecological change.
- Perform analyses to determine how human behavior can affect, and be affected by, changes in the environment.
- Recommend methods to protect the environment or minimize environmental damage from industrial production practices.
- Translate the theories of industrial ecology into eco-industrial practices.
- Develop alternative energy investment scenarios to compare economic and environmental costs and benefits.
- Carry out environmental assessments in accordance with applicable standards, regulations, or laws.
- Plan or conduct field research on topics such as industrial production, industrial ecology, population ecology, and environmental production or sustainability.
- Examine societal issues and their relationship with both technical systems and the environment.
- Create complex and dynamic mathematical models of population, community, or ecological systems.
- Forecast future status or condition of ecosystems, based on changing industrial practices or environmental conditions.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of industrial ecology programs, using statistical analysis and applications.
- Review industrial practices, such as the methods and materials used in construction or production, to identify potential liabilities and environmental hazards.
- Apply new or existing research about natural ecosystems to understand economic and industrial systems in the context of the environment.
- Prepare plans to manage renewable resources.
- Identify or compare the component parts or relationships between the parts of industrial, social, and natural systems.
- Plan or conduct studies of the ecological implications of historic or projected changes in industrial processes or development.
- Research sources of pollution to determine environmental impact or to develop methods of pollution abatement or control.
- Perform environmentally extended input-output (EE I-O) analyses.
- Promote use of environmental management systems (EMS) to reduce waste or to improve environmentally sound use of natural resources.
- Develop or test protocols to monitor ecosystem components and ecological processes.
- Investigate the impact of changed land management or land use practices on ecosystems.
- Research environmental effects of land and water use to determine methods of improving environmental conditions or increasing outputs, such as crop yields.
- Provide industrial managers with technical materials on environmental issues, regulatory guidelines, or compliance actions.
- Conduct applied research on the effects of industrial processes on the protection, restoration, inventory, monitoring, or reintroduction of species to the natural environment.
- Conduct scientific protection, mitigation, or restoration projects to prevent resource damage, maintain the integrity of critical habitats, and minimize the impact of human activities.
- Conduct analyses to determine the maximum amount of work that can be accomplished for a given amount of energy in a system, such as industrial production systems and waste treatment systems.
- Investigate accidents affecting the environment to assess ecological impact.
- Investigate the adaptability of various animal and plant species to changed environmental conditions.
- Conduct life cycle assessments of products.
Skills
Knowledge
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Abilities
Work Activities
Work Context
How frequently does your job require you to use E-mail?
97%
Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
How much freedom does the worker have in determining the tasks, priorities, or goals of the job?
85%
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
How frequently does your job require face-to-face discussions with individuals and within teams?
85%
Freedom to Make Decisions
How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
82%
Telephone Conversations
How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
81%
Spend Time Sitting
How much does this job require sitting?
79%
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?
77%
Duration of Typical Work Week
Number of hours typically worked in one week.
74%
Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
How important is it to work with or contribute to a work group or team in this job?
73%
Contact With Others
How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
64%
Written Letters and Memos
How frequently does your job require written letters and memos?
63%
Level of Competition
To what extent does this job require the worker to compete or to be aware of competitive pressures?
60%
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
How often does this job require working indoors in an environmentally controlled environment (like a warehouse with air conditioning)?
59%
Time Pressure
How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines?
59%
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the image or reputation or financial resources of your employer?
56%
Coordinate or Lead Others in Accomplishing Work Activities
How important is it to coordinate or lead others (not as a supervisor or team leader) in accomplishing work activities in this job?
52%
Work Outcomes and Results of Other Workers
How responsible is the worker for work outcomes and results of other workers?
49%
Frequency of Decision Making
How often is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?
46%
Public Speaking
How frequently does your job require public speaking (one speaker with an audience)?
45%
Deal With External Customers or the Public in General
How important is it to deal with external customers (as in retail sales) or the public in general (as in police work) in this job?
41%
Physical Proximity
To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks physically close to other people?
40%
Importance of Repeating Same Tasks
How important are continuous, repetitive, physical activities (like key entry) or mental activities (like checking entries in a ledger) to performing this job?
39%
Conflict Situations
How frequently are there conflict situations the employee has to face in this job?
35%
Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions
How much does this job require making repetitive motions?
33%
Health and Safety of Other Workers
How much responsibility is there for the health and safety of others in this job?
32%
Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled
How often does this job require working in an environment that is not environmentally controlled (like a warehouse without air conditioning)?
27%
Consequence of Error
How serious would the result usually be if the worker made a mistake that was not easily correctable?
26%
Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable
How often does this job require working exposed to sounds and noise levels that are distracting or uncomfortable?
26%
Dealing With Unpleasant, Angry, or Discourteous People
How frequently does the worker have to deal with unpleasant, angry, or discourteous individuals as part of the job requirements?
25%
In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment
How often does this job require working in a closed vehicle or operate enclosed equipment (like a car)?
25%
Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
How much does this job require using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls?
25%
Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions
How often does this job require working outdoors, exposed to all weather conditions?
23%
Spend Time Standing
How much does this job require standing?
23%
Exposed to Contaminants
How often does this job require working exposed to contaminants (such as pollutants, gases, dust or odors)?
20%
Outdoors, Under Cover
How often does this job require working outdoors, under cover (like in an open shed)?
20%
Work Schedules
How regular are the work schedules for this job?
20%
Degree of Automation
How automated is the job?
15%
Spend Time Walking or Running
How much does this job require walking or running?
14%
Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
How often does this job require wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, hard hats or life-jackets?
14%
Exposed to Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting Conditions
How often does this job require working in extremely bright or inadequate lighting conditions?
13%
Exposed to Hazardous Conditions
How often does this job require exposure to hazardous conditions?
11%
Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures
How often does this job require working in very hot (above 90 F degrees) or very cold (below 32 F degrees) temperatures?
11%
Exposed to Hazardous Equipment
How often does this job require exposure to hazardous equipment?
9%
In an Open Vehicle or Operating Equipment
How often does this job require working in an open vehicle or operating equipment (like a tractor)?
8%
Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection
How often does this job require wearing specialized protective or safety equipment such as breathing apparatus, safety harness, full protection suits, or radiation protection?
6%
Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body
How much does this job require bending or twisting your body?
5%
Spend Time Keeping or Regaining Balance
How much does this job require keeping or regaining your balance?
5%
Dealing with Violent or Physically Aggressive People
How frequently does this job require the worker to deal with physical aggression of violent individuals?
4%
Exposed to Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions
How often does this job require working in cramped work spaces that requires getting into awkward positions?
4%
Exposed to Minor Burns, Cuts, Bites, or Stings
How often does this job require exposure to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings?
4%
Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling
How much does this job require kneeling, crouching, stooping or crawling?
4%
Exposed to High Places
How often does this job require exposure to high places?
3%
Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment
How important is it to this job that the pace is determined by the speed of equipment or machinery? (This does not refer to keeping busy at all times on this job.)
3%
Spend Time Climbing Ladders, Scaffolds, or Poles
How much does this job require climbing ladders, scaffolds, poles, etc.?
3%
Exposed to Disease or Infections
How often does this job require exposure to disease/infections?
2%
Exposed to Whole Body Vibration
How often does this job require exposure to whole body vibration (like operating a jackhammer or earth moving equipment)?
2%
Exposed to Radiation
How often does this job require exposure to radiation?
1%
Education
Master's degree
Bachelor's degree
Doctoral degree
Interests
Investigative
Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the f
Realistic
Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, t
Conventional
Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or hum
Enterprising
Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertis
Artistic
Work involves creating original visual artwork, performances, written works, food, or music for a variety of media, or applying artistic principles to the design of various objects and materials. Artistic occupations are often associated with visual arts,
Social
Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.
Work Values
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