Moral Careers in Science

[DaRock]

I am just about to become a senior in high school and am considering what I should major in while at college. I am very experienced in earth science related topics (numerous state science olympiad medals) and am currently considering engineering geology or geoscience in general as a major. Looking at how I can best inflluence the world around me should I pursue the former majors or pursue a more profitable major such as petroleum engineering which would enable me to fund charities/science foundations with an average salary above 100k and a great growth outlook. (Is it ethical to make money doing something that exploits the environment while at the same time funding those who are attempting to salvage the environment?) I have come across statistics showing that the most secular professions in science are biology (evolution) and psychology (no delusions) does anyone have any idea how I could apply philosophical veganism to an earth science related career? (also does anyone know of any statistics regarding the veg-friendly status of professionals in certain fields?)

[brimstoneSalad]

That is a dilemma.

You could perhaps go into doing work for the mining industry instead? Maybe look for a job in Uranium or something, which is oil's biggest competitor... if we can put the propaganda they started to rest.

There might also be work in engineering for the foundations of very large buildings, which are pretty green (concentrated urban areas having lighter carbon footprints).

I don't know about the veg-friendly status; biologists should know a little about nutrition so realize it's not a problem, and accept the reality of climate change and the contribution of animal agriculture, but they may be worried about opposition to animal testing (if you oppose it for medical experiments). If you clarify that you mainly oppose cosmetic and unnecessary experiments, you'll probably find views ranging from admiration to indifference.

[Mateo3112]

I know it may sound selfish, but i believe you should study what you like the most, not what you think is best for the world, however, if you really seek to influence the world around you, i would encourage you to study a life science. Biology is probably your safest bet, that's what i'm studying and people are very open to discussing controvertial topics such as animal experimentation. Most scientists i've talked to seem to favor experimenting on animals, but surprisingly enough, the students were evenly split. Some of them were vegans, and a lot of them questioned the methods used, even when our professors assured us they were sacrificed in the most human way possible (Via cervical dislocation). But be aware, biology (And science in general) is a time sponge, which is part of the reason i haven't been to this forum in over a year.
This is a fairly old topic, so you may have chosen already, but if you haven't yet, i wish you the best of luck