[one of two from the same post]

I’m an environmentalist at a fossil fuel company:

I’ve been concerned about climate change and global warming for years now. This past summer really emphasized that climate change is here and is affecting my area of the world. The problem is, I work at a company that sells fossil fuels. It’s only one business line that we do, but it is the business line that makes the most profit. I wasn’t fully aware of the scope of this when I first accepted the job years ago, but as I learned more through my employment, I became aware that it is their biggest cornerstone.

I hoped that the recent developments in my country of carbon tax and the transition to electric vehicles that management would see the writing on the wall and start to wind down production and increase efforts into other business lines. However, they seem determined to squeeze as much profit out of oil and gas while they still can.

I work in marketing, so I help with the development of campaigns that promote consumers and businesses to buy fuel. More and more, I feel sickened by some of the work that being asked of me to do. How can we continue to sell fossil fuels and pretend like the world isn’t on fire?

The culture seems to be that climate change is taboo. I rarely hear anyone talk about it, except for polite conversation about how the weather is acting strange lately. I feel like my job could be on the line if I speak out against what upper management is planning, or if I start declining to do the work that I’m morally against.

I like my coworkers and I have a great boss. I enjoy the work that I do when it’s not related to fuel. The pay and benefits are great. After a history of low-paying jobs, I’m hesitant to give this one up. I rationalized this by thinking that someone has to fill my position, it might as well have someone who cares about the environment, right? But I am just a small cog in the machine, so my power to make change is limited. I have reached out to some coworkers individually who feel similarly, so I’m not the only one who feels this way at least. Is there anything I can do, or do I have to find a new job? Help!

If you’re asking if there’s any way to convince your company its work is morally wrong or otherwise get it to change course … probably not. If you were in a different type of role, there might be opportunities to engage in harm reduction efforts, but that’s not likely to happen in marketing. If you had uncovered information that allowed you to act as a whistleblower, that could be a way to effect change but it doesn’t sound like the situation you’re in.

The crux of it, unfortunately, is that you’re working for a company whose work conflicts with your values. You’re feeling the same way some people might feel working for big tobacco or the gun lobby, and you’ve got to decide if you’re willing to do it or not. Some people are able to make peace with working at jobs that don’t align with their values and some aren’t … but it sounds like you’re probably in the second group.