Philosophy

Every good environmental manager knows how to make things better. Given the opportunity and resources, the environmental manager will improve the quality of the environmental performance of his or her organization. Generally, we walk around with a few of these ideas bubbling around in our brains waiting for a break in our busy routines that will enable us to bring them to realization. It is the nature of our profession, however, that our plans for improvement seldom extend much beyond a few innovations at any given time. Few of us have a ready answer to the question, “Where, ultimately, do we want to be?” or, “What do you envision our role to be in a more perfect world?” We do not have a long term view of or overall goal for the profession.

Much of this has to do with the reality that there is always more work to be done than there is available time and resources. We are busy people. At a deeper level however, it also has to do with the reactive nature of the profession. We respond to spills and other releases; we respond to new regulations and new international standards; and we respond to the evolving market forces.  So, while we all know how to get to the next tree, we have no common path for getting out of the forest.

EnvironmentalManager.org provides a forum for related discussion, research and development of a philosophical foundation for the profession.  As we address the issues and answer the questions introduced in the Collaboratory we will get closer and closer to being able to decide and agree upon a fitting philosophy of the profession of Environmental Manager.