Hanley Sustainability Institute

By Colleen Stumbris

For the past two years, I have worked in the oil and gas industry interning at two different refineries in the United States. As a chemical engineering student, this workplace is an opportunity of a lifetime. There’s exciting opportunities and interesting problems to solve. However, as an environmentalist, it brought many concerns.

When I first accepted my offer, I only wanted to see another part of the country, to live in a new place for four months. I was not sure what to think of the process, the people, and especially the company. There is an interesting juxtaposition to sit in, but I think people there genuinely want to make a difference. They want to make the process as safe and environmentally conscious as possible while making a profit. 

What has been the most interesting part of this experience is how people view the job. I have been told I am a horrible person for taking this job, and I do not deserve to call myself an environmentalist. On the other hand, others have been congratulatory and proud of the work I have done. What I can agree with most is you cannot change something by yelling at it from the outside. Many of my amazing coworkers were excited about sustainability opportunities the refineries could start. 

Overall, the future of energy is complicated. Unfortunately, like most sustainability work, there is no one- size-fits-all solution. Without people who want to do the work inside of these companies and fields, there is no way the work and transition will ever occur. When they start, every engineer thinks they can save the world, but we forget it cannot be done alone. It will require massive collaboration of people, nations and companies to actually work toward a solution.