No. 113: Wildlife Services

Sometimes I come across a conservation issue that demands our attention, but typically not twice in one week. If you haven't read the NYT investigation into the panda breeding program, it's well worth your time; I'm also highlighting an analysis from NPR on the government's Wildlife Services program, which kills hundreds of thousands of wild animals every year.

If you have a sustainability background, the featured job from thinkPARALLAX this week ought to pique your interest. I'm also demystifying a way to expand your job search to find small companies on a growth trajectory. Shall we?

~ Greg

What we're reading

The USDA's Wildlife Services program kills hundreds of thousands of wild animals annually, often without clear evidence of livestock damage. (NPR)

• In short, federal employees are authorized to kill wildlife at the request of private livestock owners. The program got its start in the 1930s back when those types of threats were common, but these days its environmental impact is questioned.
  • Take the Endangered Species Act for example: there are now efforts to restore wild animal populations that are threatened with extinction.
• NPR reviewed Montana's data from 2019 to 2022 and found that roughly 11,000 animals were killed where no livestock were lost.
  • The Wildlife Services program uses multiple methods to kill animals, none of which sound particularly humane to me: snares, cyanide, and shooting from helicopters for example. The latter is most "efficient," but efficiency isn't something you really need if you're removing one-off threats.
• A program representative told NPR that nearly three-quarters of the animals killed last year were invasive species. That seems like a reasonable focus, provided "invasive" isn't used as an excuse to kill indiscriminately.
  • There is some good news, thankfully: conservation groups are petitioning the government to set stricter requirements, and judges in Idaho and California have limited the Wildlife Services program from killing animals without first providing evidence that their methods are effective.

Nissan is going to debut new electric vehicles next year that offer vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology in the UK. That would make them the first to achieve power grid certification there. (CAR Magazine)

• V2G allows electric cars to feed power back into the national grid during peak demand times. That tends to be in the mornings and evenings when renewable energy sources don't generate as much electricity but home usage increases.
• The technology will debut on an updated version of the Ariya and future Nissan EVs.
  • This is not a common feature on cars today; California just passed a law that gives the California Energy Commission the authorization to require EVs with bidirectional charging.
  • The F-150 Lightning was part of a test last year with Portland General Electric where the utility company would pay people to use their vehicles in backup power applications. One of the challenges is that you need special equipment to support V2G and similar technologies – it's not as simple as leaving your car plugged into your wall charger.
• Still, it's promising to see EVs become part of the utility infrastructure. Electricity storage continues to be a target of opportunity with regards to renewable energy, and I quite like the idea that America's cars could become part of the solution.

Job of the week

I have a heck of a sustainability job opportunity this week for an industry veteran: thinkPARALLAX is hiring a Director of Sustainability Strategy.

thinkPARALLAX is a Certified B Corp that consults on sustainability and communications strategy, and the Director of Sustainability Strategy will have their fingers in everything from project management and personnel development to client relations and continuous improvement efforts. They have an office in Encinitas, CA – never-ending sunshine, anyone? – or you can work remotely nationwide. Sounds like a winner to me.

Community roundup

• Locals in the Atacama Desert in Chile are reviving a language thought to be extinct since the 1950s and putting a spotlight on the nearly 1500 languages that could be lost by the end of the century. (NPR)
• New Jersey has filed a discrimination lawsuit against a local hospital that required pregnant patients to take drug tests. (The Marshall Project)
  • The hospital automatically reported positive drug tests to child welfare authorities; even though the hospital system supported 10% of births in the state, they were responsible for 25% of welfare reports.
• The founder of Robinhood has announced a new startup venture called Aetherflux which aims to beam solar energy from space to remote locations on Earth. (Fast Company)
• Canada's parliament passed a bill last week that would start covering the costs of contraception and diabetes care. The next test is to secure funding agreements between the federal government and Canada's provinces and territories. (BBC)
• Earlier this year, the Biden Administration set new requirements that required nursing homes to meet minimum staffing levels if they receive Medicaid and Medicare funding. Now, 20 states are suing to block the requirements from being enforced. (The Hill)
• The entire Chicago Board of Education announced their resignations on Friday in protest of a $300 million loan to pay for teacher contracts and pensions, arguing that it would add to an already significant debt burden. (ABC News)
• Darpa is testing hybrid reef structures to see if they can protect American military assets better than traditional seawall structures. (Ars Technica)
  • The idea is to simulate the dampening effects of coral reefs by building an artificial reef where oyster colonies can develop over time.

Hot job opportunities

• Operations Coordinator – Montana Association of Conservation Districts – Helena, MT
• Business Development Intern (Summer 2025) – Battelle – Remote
• Product Manager – Coforma – Remote
  • The application closes at the end of the week, so be quick!
• Assistant Controller – S2G Ventures – Chicago, IL
• Sales Appointment Scheduler – Blue Raven Solar – Orem, UT
  • Good entry-level option, with minimal qualifications required
• Senior Manager, Engineering – Collective Health – San Francisco, CA
• Media Strategist, Communications and External Affairs – Vera Institute of Justice – Brooklyn, NY
• Field Technician – SOURCE – Tucson, AZ
• Director of Business Enablement and Delivery – King Arthur Baking – White River Junction, VT
• Environmental Intern – Ameren – St. Louis, MO

Resource of the week

This is a fun one for me this week, because I get to share one of the tricks I use to find companies you've never heard of before.

Companies are often in growth or decline, and it can be fun to hop into a smaller company on a growth trajectory. One of the best ways to find them is to follow the money: venture capital, to be specific.

You can find VCs in just about any vertical you can think of, and this week I went searching for climate tech VCs. Check out this massive infographic of climate tech VCs, and note the stages across the top for "seed," "early stage," and "growth." You can kind of think of this like your risk profile for a new job: I'd generally recommend checking out the VCs under the growth section first, since those are companies who may be receiving multiple rounds of funding with an established customer base.

From there, your favorite search engine is your friend. Look up a VC, find your way to their "portfolio" – usually a top-level link on the navigation bar – and you'll see a list of companies. Those are your contenders. Startups are big on culture fit, and if you apply through their websites or contact a recruiter on LinkedIn, there's a decent chance of getting noticed. Here's to finding that diamond in the rough!

Test your knowledge

People are tackling the livestock emissions challenge from multiple angles, whether that's plant-based meat, additives to cow feed, or simply tightening the regulatory environment. The latter was the subject of our trivia question last week: Denmark is the country in question which will start including livestock emissions as part of their carbon tax system.

If you're looking to make more responsible purchasing decisions, chances are you've looked to a third party to provide some level of confidence – take Fair Trade Certified or Certified B Corp for example. Do you know who you can count on to tell you if your fish is fishy?

Which organization certifies sustainable fishing practices, which you can identify with a blue fish label?

Email me your guess, and I'll send one lucky winner a couple of One Work stickers!

I am rewatching Coldplay's performance of "All My Love" from Saturday Night Live a few weeks back – it's a keeper. You can find me on LinkedIn and Threads.