This feminist sees the growth of climate jobs as a beacon of hope, offering opportunities for people to contribute to this essential transition.
FEMINIST sat down with Kristy to learn more about how climate change is impacting the job market and the dating market.
Kristy Drutman
Kristy Drutman, also known as @browngirlgreen, is a Jewish-Filipina speaker, consultant, media producer, and environmental educator passionate about working at the intersections between media, diversity, and environmentalism. Through speeches, workshops, social media, and her new reality dating show Love and Climate, she has educated hundreds of thousands of people across the globe about modern-day environmental issues. Her climate tech startup, Green Jobs Board, is leading the way for greater equity and inclusion in the green economy.
What does feminism mean to you?
Feminism to me means an intentional daily practice of reclaiming your voice, courage, and clarity in a society that actively wants you to suppress and silence yourself. It is about having the ability to have and live with choices that serve the highest good for yourself and your community.
A lot of your work centers around how people can bring climate action into their personal and professional lives. What is your personal connection to the climate movement, and what prompted you to become an activist in this space?
As a Filipino American, witnessing how the climate crisis is impacting climate vulnerable countries like the Philippines made me realize my responsibility to act. There are so many communities around the world living on the frontlines of climate disasters - floods, fires, storms etc. that do not have the resources or capacity to adapt to the conditions of a warming planet. In the face of ecological collapse, the world must limit global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius but we are on track to meet and surpass this threshold. However, communities and ecosystems that will be threatened the most from this contribute the least to global emissions. Therefore, as the U.S. is a top polluting country driving emissions upward - I feel a deep sense of purpose to do all that I can as a storyteller and educator to teach and encourage others to take action on this issue.
You recently started a climate-related speed dating show called Love and Climate. From what you’ve seen, how is climate change impacting modern dating?
From what I’ve seen, climate change is impacting how some people are thinking about their long term relationship plans. This is mostly taking the form of folks being more unsure if they want to have kids or not due to fears about the future of the planet. But we are also seeing that some people are considering sustainable living / lifestyle as an important aspect when evaluating compatibility with a prospective partner. It would be nice to see more conversations normalized even as openers on dating apps that encourages people to talk about their views or connection with nature, sustainable/ slow living etc.
In the age of climate change and intersectional feminism, how can we take a more equitable and sustainable approach to romantic relationships?
We need more people who can have vulnerable conversations around positionality and power dynamics within relationships. As they say, the personal is political - so how we treat each other - when it comes to accountability, vulnerability, and imperfection - can easily be translated to approaching sustainability and equity. We must lead with love and learning, not judgment and shame - we must approach each other with compassion and be willing to practice self awareness and growth. And those with more privilege than others should continuously practice creating space and redistributing resources and care to those who do not. In this space, being more “eco-friendly” and approaching such complex challenges of caring for the planet become less daunting and a more enriching experience- to show down, think about your relationship with the earth and the type of ways you want to leave the world a better place than you came here.
You’re also the founder of Green Jobs Board. Why did you think it was important to create a separate jobs board specifically focused on climate-related jobs?
Green Jobs Board came out of my own journey as a college student who found it very difficult to know how to find a job I would be passionate about working in after I graduated. There’s a lot of people in the world who are passionate about making an impact and addressing the climate crisis, but feel overwhelmed about not knowing where to get started. I struggled to find a resource to make it straightforward and easy for people, so my co-founder and I decided to just build it ourselves. Showing people that they can find jobs and opportunities that continue to grow in this space in and of itself is a story of hope. It’s a story that there’s incredible growth of climate jobs that didn’t exist years ago and now people have an opportunity to join and support this major transition.
What trends have you noticed in the green jobs market? Are there any changes that you hope to see within the next few years?
The major trends I’m seeing is that there’s a huge skills gap when it comes to the green jobs sector- even as roles open up in these companies or organizations, there’s not always candidates available with the necessary skill set. I believe we will see a trend of more companies and organizations building out upskilling programs, fellowships, and feeder programs to bring prospective talent on to their teams more and more in the future. Further, there’s going to be an influx of positions related to the energy transition (moving away from fossil fuels), so having skills related to or in the energy sector will be very beneficial! We may see that there may be more alternative options to attending a 4-year university to instead go directly into trades that will center around infrastructure. Also having good skills around communications, data analysis, software engineering, and community engagement will all be super helpful! These are skills that will be necessary for multiple organizations who will need to stay on top of the research and information they’re putting out in the world regarding climate solutions!
What advice would you give to someone who wants to start a career in the climate space?
Join Green Jobs Board of course- we have lots of links/ share opportunities on a weekly basis on social media! But seriously, I would say start making an inventory of positions, organizations, and companies you find interesting or related to an environmental issue (s) you're passionate about. From there, I would recommend having conversations with folks in that sector to get a better feel / lay of the land when it comes to that area of expertise and what a day-in-the-life looks like for them. Then decide if that’s your vibe or not as you collect more information on the field to take your next course of action. This may be taking supplemental courses, trainings, or finding an internship aligned with your interests. From there, I would say apply wide and far for positions you find interesting and also treat that process as an information gathering opportunity to further get a feel of the industry and refine your search over time!
