Panelists discuss ecology, business

Combining business and the environment may seem unusual to some, but it was the focus of the first annual environmental career panel yesterday. Two Shades of Green, an organization of environmentally concerned business students, invited the panel to speak at a special meeting. The panel focused on environmental careers in business and included five people involved in fields such as accounting, writing and investing. About 45 students gathered to hear the panelists speak about how they became involved in environmental business, what obstacles they had to overcome and their daily responsibilities. After each gave a short presentation, the panel opened the floor to questions. The panelists talked about future trends in environmental business and opportunities available to them in the field. James Rogers, president of the Rogers Environmental Management Corporation, spoke of opportunities he said people rarely hear about. For example, he discussed the great potential for environmental regulation in many areas around the world, specifically mentioning Thailand as a focal point. Reed Gligorovic, product coordinator for a mutual fund company called the Calvert Group, emphasized the importance of "socially, environmentally responsible investment." "People can sleep easier at night knowing that their money is in the hands of responsible, corporate citizens," Gligorovic said. Special Projects Coordinator for the New York University's Stern School of Business Susan Cohn, author of Green At Work, also stressed the importance of being environmentally responsible as a business. Her book deals with what various companies are doing to address environmental concerns. Bill Russel, who works for the consulting firm Coopers and Lybrand, said the environment is becoming a major issue to many businesses. "The environment is going to become an integrated part of the entire corporation, from those in marketing to the top executives," Russel said. Hitting on a more practical student concern, Russel posed the question: "How many of you Wharton students want to become millionaires?" Half the crowd raised their hands. He said success can come to those who start their own business that is environmentally based, rather than working in the field of environmental consulting. Engineering sophomore Reshma Sohoni, co-president of Two Shades of Green, said she thought the panel was a tremendous success. She added that the meeting helped to raise interest in the relatively new club, adding that several students asked when the next panel will be held.