“I’m not interested in merely pursuing a way to make enough money to get by … I want to be doing something that I care about,” says Rebecca, one of more than 30 young adults profiled in Green Careers. Author Jennifer Power Scott points out that her subjects, like the book’s target audience, are part of a generation raised with an unprecedented respect for the environment. Her guide assists high school- and college-aged youth in determining a career path that doesn’t compromise their green principles.

Green Careers is noteworthy in the scope of the eco-options it presents: a natural-resources specialist who is helping Kenyans farm trees; a bonobo ape caretaker in Iowa; a fashion designer apprenticing in L.A.; a horticulturalist who brings nature to Chicago’s inner city youth; an icebreaker-riding German meteorologist; and a pack trip guide in the Rockies. Scott also explores the green potential of such diverse fields as architecture, agriculture, politics, music, medicine, engineering, and even brewing. While she does provide much supplementary information on degree programs that focus on the environment, she makes sure to include profiles of individuals who eschewed formal education for other opportunities. Readers with vague ambitions may also be comforted by the notion, exemplified in the book, that a “career” is always in flux – altering as personal, social, or environmental needs change. Although its chirpy tone can occasionally grate, Green Careers is a useful starting point for eco-conscious youth still in school as well as those contemplating a career switch. mRb