r/environmental_science

This is a handbook compiled by myself with a few guest contributions from climate experts to help refute the common conversations around climate change and science.

It is hoped to be expanded upon and any commentary is invited to enhance it. If you’re a student, professional or local impacted by the study you are also invited to contribute to the project.

Hello, originally I wanted to pursue environmental science as my major, but after taking a peek at Reddit, I'm beginning to understand that this is not, in fact, the move if I want to actually make money and live a somewhat happy life. I still really would like to pursue a career somewhere in the environmental field; however, now I feel lost and kind of scared. I knew that job prospects for environmental work were not the greatest, but I didn't realize just how bad it was. I'm currently a junior in high school, and I still have some time before I have to figure out what majors I want to apply for. I've heard environmental engineering is better than an environmental science degree, but again, I'm unsure. I'm worried because next year I'm taking AP Bio, and I haven't taken a single physics class throughout my time in high school, as I originally presumed I wasn't going to pursue a major that heavily incorporates physics. Does anybody have any recommendations or suggestions? I'm at a loss here, and I'm a little terrified. I want to pursue something related to environmental science, but I don't want to be dead broke and have no job

Hi!

I just graduated highschool and I am planning on going to major in Computer Science and a minor in environmental science.

Although computer science is my major, I would really like to get into environmental consulting as I really do care about the environment.

I’ve done debate and speech as a whole for the entirety of my highschool career and I plan on continuing through out college.

I also plan on joining other speech activities like case competition and mock consulting activities.

Do you think that I would be able to get a job in environmental consulting with a minor in environmental science?

This is my main concern considering that I really do enjoy speech based activities.

Thanks so much!!

How did everyone find the exam?

Hello. This is typed out on my phone.

I'm starting out with I've been doing therapy and I've realized that I've lived my life doing as I was told. I wanted to be a marine biologist, but my highschool councillor told me to be realistic with my life choices because my dyslexia has been a sever issue with math. I was really good at the flute and thought maybe I should go to school for that and my father said I would have to live in his house forever because the pay is abysmal.

I am graduating this November with my BS in Environmental policy and management. I want to be a scientist. I don't know what scientist I want to be because I'm figuring out what *I* want.

From my understanding I'd have to start over at the bachelor's level.

I'm not sure if I need advice or encouragement. Thank you.

Hey everyone,
I have been working on a conceptual framework that looks at the long-term legacy of post-WWII industrial expansion through a strict mass-balance lens, specifically regarding synthetic waste.
Standard climate models heavily prioritize greenhouse gas concentrations like carbon dioxide and methane, but I think we are overlooking a massive, tactile driver of global environmental degradation: the atmospheric cycling of thermally processed micro-synthetics.
Here is the breakdown of the hypothesis:

1. The Phase Change of Synthetic Waste
   Matter cannot be destroyed. When civilization incinerates or thermally processes hundreds of millions of tonnes of plastics and petroleum-based coatings annually, we are not eliminating the material. We are performing a large-scale phase change, transmuting solid-state waste into a highly mobile, persistent atmospheric fallout.
2. The Albedo-Particulate Nexus
   Thermally degraded polymers do not just vanish into basic carbon elements. They generate a highly specific synthetic soot and fine particulate burden that is chemically distinct from natural biomass smoke. As this synthetic fallout undergoes long-range atmospheric transport, it eventually settles onto the cryosphere. Once deposited on glaciers and ice caps, it forms a microscopic, heat-absorbent film. Data from sources like da Fonseca 2025 suggests these micro-synthetics actively alter the thermal properties of ice sheets, accelerating melt dynamics far beyond the rates predicted by ambient atmospheric warming alone.
3. The Atmospheric Microplastic Cycle
   The atmosphere is acting as a closed distribution loop for these persistent materials. Recent literature like Shan 2026 shows that non-biodegradable micro-particulates are now a permanent variable in global weather systems, acting as ice nucleating particles that modify cloud microphysics and alter long-wave radiation retention. Because these synthetic molecular bonds are entirely foreign to nature, they have a near-infinite half-life and continuously accumulate in the troposphere.
4. Trophic Bioaccumulation
   This is not just a radiative forcing issue; it is an ecological crisis. This airborne particulate burden has a high surface area that acts as a vector for persistent organic pollutants and heavy metals. Once aerosolized, these fragments breach biological barriers via inhalation and ingestion, leading to irreversible bioaccumulation and cellular stress across multiple trophic levels.
   The Missing Variable in Current Modeling
   A major gap in current modeling seems to be the undifferentiated calculation of Global Warming Potential for atmospheric aerosols. Long-chain synthetic particulates exhibit unique refractive indices, sticky physical properties, and heat-retention capabilities compared to standard organic black carbon.
   Essentially, we are trying to mitigate planetary warming while the Earth's primary cooling surfaces are being permanently coated in a heat-absorbent, non-biodegradable synthetic dust.
   I am looking to stress-test this framework. To any atmospheric physicists, toxicologists, or radiative forcing researchers here: Does the multi-decade mass-balance of synthetic production and thermal aerosolization account for some of the unexplained anomalies we are seeing in cryospheric melt and systemic ecological degradation? What flaws or data gaps do you see in this logic?

Hello!

I graduated from undergrad last year (2025) with a B.S. in Environmental Science. I took a gap year to consider my options, and have decided I'm going back to school to get an MS. My question is, would it be useful for me to get a stats MS to pair with my envs degree, or should I just go for a envs MS? I'm really interested in stats and am currently taking a course to get a GIS certificate from my undergrad institution, so I feel like it would be a good pairing.

Any advice is welcome and very appreciated!

Hi everyone, I just wanted to ask for some advice because lately I’ve been feeling really overwhelmed trying to figure out my future in environmental science.
I study in a Gulf country as a resident/non-citizen, and honestly sometimes it feels like no matter how hard I work, there are still opportunities I won’t have access to. There were even field trips I got excluded from even though they weren’t sensitive places or anything serious, which was frustrating.The thing is, I actually work really hard academically — I currently have the highest GPA in my class — but I still feel lost when it comes to building an actual career path. Internship opportunities are especially difficult because a lot of them require citizenship/nationality as a basic condition, so even finding experience feels hard sometimes.
With the situation in my home country too, I keep worrying about my future and where I’m supposed to go from here. I’m interested in a lot of environmental fields, which honestly makes choosing even harder. Part of me wants to pick something I genuinely enjoy, but another part of me is scared of ending up in a field with low opportunities or low pay, especially since I hope one day I can build opportunities abroad too.So I wanted to ask people here: if you were in my position, what would you focus on? Which environmental fields do you think are worth investing time into right now in terms of growth, opportunities, and international mobility? And how do you build experience when local opportunities are already limited?

I’d really appreciate hearing honest experiences or advice from people in the field.

Jersey City, NJ. Criminal neighbor that lived in the condo below me sprayed commercial chemicals into my home and car for 6 days. There were most likely 2 different ones. Definitely 2, but can't confirm if there was any more than that. So, basically my home and everything I own is contaminated. I haven't been home in over 6 months.

Looking for places that won't try to take advantage and rip me off or over charge. As well as reliable and competent. This is NJ afterall. Any one who's lived in north east NJ knows why I'm complaining.

1. Option 1, company that can come in and field test the air for unknown chemicals with some kind of chromatograph or similar equipment. Chemical sniffer.
2. Option 2, a lab that I can send stuff to be tested.

As far as labs go, I'm waiting to hear back from the Rutgers lab that has what I think is the right equipment. Emailed them. No reply for 2 days so far. Will try to call if I get the energy.

Looked up what kinds of equipment can field test for unknown chemicals. Tried to find companies that have them. Basically not used for residential projects at the companies I found with them so far.

Most places I came across that do chemical testing, send to a lab to test for VOCs. I don't know if they were VOCs or not which makes it unreliable if it doesn't detect something.

Contacted the Association of Vapor Intrusion Professionals. No help Nor was JCPD, state EPA, HAZMAT, state and local departments of health and human services, insurance company, NJ dept. of community affairs.

Neighbor and his associates most likely are involved with a chop shop so my best guess is autoshop related solvents. One is extremely volatile and near instantly turns to vapor. The other was likely semi-volatile as it left a clear film on the kitchen floor I could see when the sunlight came into the window at an angle in the morning. First thought was VOCs. But I bought a home air monitor off Amazon with a VOC sensor and detected nothing. Unreliable but convenient, I gave google AI a shot for tentative quick and easy info. It did say there are some VOCs that may not be detected as they are kinda off on the side so to speak. Hail Mary candidate for the semi-volatile one is an isocyanate. Has the physical properties of the chemical, the physical reactions to it, and the cognitive reactions, the permanent chemical sensitization, rapidly kicking off my Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma activity that I believe was being held in check by Mounjaro for the previous 3 years. And said it may not be detected by VOC sensors for some reason that I forget off hand. Maker of my air quality monitor said they can't say if it would detect an isocyanate or not since they were not tested against it. Easily detects rubbing alcohol so I do know it is working.

Could potentially be some kind of pesticides but didn't go that far down that path. Do know he and his wife were from Brooklyn. And there were issues in brooklyn with pesticides being sold illegally and may have been used in crimes. But, Brooklyn is a well populated place so that would be highly speculative and can't assume it. Just can't write it off either.

The chemicals were chosen for a reason. By the time the cops get there, the second one would air out and they wouldn't be able to smell it. But, I was sensitized by repeat exposure and able to. Didn't realize I had developed Multiple Chemical Sensitivity and Hyperosmia till I got out of state and dish soap and rubbing alcohol were over powering with their smell. Yet could not smell a sulfur based supplement that had gone bad, sticking my nose in the bottle. While my father could smell it from over 10 ft. away. And my step mother literally gagged when she smelled it. I took one before that.

The cops could have smelled the other chemical, if they weren't useless. Skipping that whole explanation. Cleaned up the semi-volatile one as I assumed my neighbor was done with his crap and wanted to reduce potential issues from it. If I knew I'd end up needing to lab test it, I would have left the residue on the floor or tried to collect a sample first. But, 6 days later I could still smell it anyway.

Research is very difficult as my life was destroyed twice over before having to deal with my neighbor for over a year. Then the longer chemical assault (had sprayed some before but not like those 6 days). Anyways, threw a bunch of stuff thrown further out of whack physiologically that adds onto being cognitively disabled even before these events.

Hello! I am a highschooler and I am interested in environmental and climate work. I am passionate about fighting against climate change but there are so many jobs surrounding this field, and to be honest, I don't know where to start. Do environmental scientists mainly work in offices or out in the field? Initially I wanted to pursue environmental science in college but I heard that the job prospects are terrible, unless you go into environmental engineering and sadly, I am terrible at math. Are there any other jobs that pay a livable wage while I can continue with my passion and interests?

I am a graduating bachelors student in Europe and I come from a non EU country. I got a full scholarship for this funded course by the EU for masters in sustainability and its online. The problem is I would have to go back home to do the masters online and I am from a country where I would not have alot of freedom for myself as a student back home and would not be able to earn as much as I do on my part time job even. I also got into this Environmental Data Science program that focuses on a lot of remote sensing and GIS while trying to include AI skills but I do not have a scholarship for that. (It’s not crazy expensive and I can afford it.) Is it worth the investment to do a double masters to keep my freedom and will it help me further in my career or should I just take the plunge and go back home for my masters?

ps. Staying in Europe was never really the goal, my partner is American and we are planning on getting married next year.