According to people in this career, the main tasks are...
| Task | Importance |
|---|---|
| Identify environmental impacts caused by products, systems, or projects. | 88% |
| Identify or develop strategies or methods to minimize the environmental impact of industrial production processes. | 87% |
| Analyze changes designed to improve the environmental performance of complex systems and avoid unintended negative consequences. | 87% |
| Conduct environmental sustainability assessments, using material flow analysis (MFA) or substance flow analysis (SFA) techniques. | 84% |
| Identify sustainable alternatives to industrial or waste-management practices. | 84% |
| Review research literature to maintain knowledge on topics related to industrial ecology, such as physical science, technology, economy, and public policy. | 83% |
| Redesign linear, or open-loop, systems into cyclical, or closed-loop, systems so that waste products become inputs for new processes, modeling natural ecosystems. | 82% |
| Prepare technical and research reports, such as environmental impact reports, and communicate the results to individuals in industry, government, or the general public. | 80% |
| Examine local, regional, or global use and flow of materials or energy in industrial production processes. | 78% |
| Monitor the environmental impact of development activities, pollution, or land degradation. | 78% |
| Build and maintain databases of information about energy alternatives, pollutants, natural environments, industrial processes, and other information related to ecological change. | 77% |
| Perform analyses to determine how human behavior can affect, and be affected by, changes in the environment. | 77% |
| Recommend methods to protect the environment or minimize environmental damage from industrial production practices. | 75% |
| Translate the theories of industrial ecology into eco-industrial practices. | 74% |
| Develop alternative energy investment scenarios to compare economic and environmental costs and benefits. | 72% |
| Carry out environmental assessments in accordance with applicable standards, regulations, or laws. | 70% |
| Examine societal issues and their relationship with both technical systems and the environment. | 69% |
| Plan or conduct field research on topics such as industrial production, industrial ecology, population ecology, and environmental production or sustainability. | 69% |
| Create complex and dynamic mathematical models of population, community, or ecological systems. | 69% |
| Evaluate the effectiveness of industrial ecology programs, using statistical analysis and applications. | 68% |
| Forecast future status or condition of ecosystems, based on changing industrial practices or environmental conditions. | 68% |
| Review industrial practices, such as the methods and materials used in construction or production, to identify potential liabilities and environmental hazards. | 67% |
| Apply new or existing research about natural ecosystems to understand economic and industrial systems in the context of the environment. | 67% |
| Prepare plans to manage renewable resources. | 67% |
| Identify or compare the component parts or relationships between the parts of industrial, social, and natural systems. | 67% |
| Plan or conduct studies of the ecological implications of historic or projected changes in industrial processes or development. | 64% |
| Research sources of pollution to determine environmental impact or to develop methods of pollution abatement or control. | 64% |
| Perform environmentally extended input-output (EE I-O) analyses. | 64% |
| Promote use of environmental management systems (EMS) to reduce waste or to improve environmentally sound use of natural resources. | 62% |
| Develop or test protocols to monitor ecosystem components and ecological processes. | 61% |
| Investigate the impact of changed land management or land use practices on ecosystems. | 61% |
| Research environmental effects of land and water use to determine methods of improving environmental conditions or increasing outputs, such as crop yields. | 59% |
| Provide industrial managers with technical materials on environmental issues, regulatory guidelines, or compliance actions. | 57% |
| Conduct applied research on the effects of industrial processes on the protection, restoration, inventory, monitoring, or reintroduction of species to the natural environment. | 56% |
| Conduct scientific protection, mitigation, or restoration projects to prevent resource damage, maintain the integrity of critical habitats, and minimize the impact of human activities. | 49% |
| Investigate accidents affecting the environment to assess ecological impact. | 48% |
| 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. | 47% |
| Investigate the adaptability of various animal and plant species to changed environmental conditions. | 43% |
