I have been involved with Environmental Compliance for a number of years now. Dealing initially in USA compliance. As time has gone by this experience came to include international. Depending on the part of the world compliance can mean a lot of things. Such as the difference between which entity is having to comply, Department of Defense versus a private company for example. I hope to share some of my real world experiences for others to perhaps learn from and build upon.
Currently I am located in country located in the Horn of Africa, part of the Sub-Sahara. I have come to find out that for all practical purposes I am one of the most knowledgeable and experienced environmentally trained professionals in this whole country. Which is really not saying much, but it does make for good bragging rights. Although it makes people ask why.
"Why" is a good question. I am a pragmatist and not inclined to suppose that the world would come to an immediate end if someone with my training where not located here. Not like a lot of people who's ego won't let them get beyond that what they do in the grand scheme of things is not that important. But even with that said, compliance with basic environmental philosophies is just as important or more so in a austere location.
The basic understanding of environmental compliance has been muddied in recent years by the conservatives in the USA to equate to protectors of the bugs and bunnies--making environmental a bad word. Now I am a conservative and for the most part a "ditto head", so I understand the stance being made against the wackos of this profession. But as a conversationalist, and a resident of this planet is does not seem right to pollute for the sake of polluting; because of convenience or for a higher profit margin.
So in locations outside of the western world, environmental compliance becomes a basic human rights issue.
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