You've probably heard people talk about things like endangered species, global warming, air pollution, acid rain, deforestation, nuclear waste, and holes in the ozone layer. All of these environmental problems are real, and there are many people trying to help solve them.

Environmental scientists work in many fields of science, especially chemistry, to help them understand and solve these difficult environmental problems. Besides chemistry, they also use computers, and techniques and knowledge from biology and physics, to understand the environment. Some of the areas that environmental scientists research are water chemistry and lake and stream pollution. They test for pollution in the water by gathering and chemically analyzing samples from natural water sources. They also study population dynamics which explain why animal and human populations grow at the rates they do, and how they react to environmental changes and problems. Environmental scientists also study air pollution in the hopes that they can help us to slow or stop the destruction of our atmosphere and the gases we breathe.

People who are trained in the environmental sciences work for agencies like Health Departments, Departments of Environmental Resources, and the Environmental Protection Agency; these are agencies and departments that monitor and enforce environmental laws and regulations. They use the scientific expertise of environmental scientists to set or modify guidelines to deal with changing environmental conditions. Environmental scientists are also important to many industries because they often use environmental consulting firms to help them stay within the environmental laws required by the government. For example, an industrial company must monitor its emissions into the atmosphere, the amount of toxic waste it disposes of, and where the waste is dumped.

The future will certainly see even more uses for environmental science. Right now, environmental scientists are working on things like environmentally friendly energy sources to help solve the energy crisis. They are working on making solar, wind, and geothermal energy efficient and affordable choices for the future. There are also those working on improving our recycling system so that we reuse a greater percentage of our materials instead of simply throwing them out.

Environmental scientists can have many interesting job titles. These titles include Chemist, Coastal Zone Manager, Environmental Educator, Chemical Engineer, Environmental Lawyer, Environmental Manager, Hydrogeologist, Toxicologist, and Wetlands Ecologist.

It has only been in the last twenty years that people have really begun to realize how important it is for us to protect our planet. With this increasing awareness of environmental issues, scientists who understand what is happening to our planet have become some of the most necessary people on Earth.