Watercooler Chat with Chris Whitehead, Worley

If you haven't made it to a local meetup for Offshore Wind Drinks , you should rectify that immediately! That's where I first had the pleasure of meeting Chris Whitehead , and in the years since, I continue to be impressed with his knowledge and commitment to the intersection of energy and environmental justice. It is my immense pleasure to feature him in the latest edition of our Watercooler Chats series.

How did you get into your line of work?

This is going to sound incredibly pragmatic, but my thought process was: "I want to help the environment and I want job security," so I saw environmental regulation (policy and advisory) as a logical thing to look into. My first break was found while bartending and I started chatting with a regular. He ran a WBE in Piscataway, NJ, offered me an interview, and gave me a shot. I spent eight years learning from him, an expert who had done the job for 40+ years at the time and who loved mentoring. I was very lucky.

What are you working on that you’re really excited about right now?

Over the last few years, environmental justice (EJ) and climate impact assessment have really become my passions. I started a podcast, Perspectives on Sustainable Development Podcast , which focuses on both topics with the intent of offering high-quality free education on critical planning issues. The buy-in that we have received from subject matter experts across the country has been amazing.

In what way does working in the energy transition impact your daily life?

I got hooked a few years back when I worked on the Mayflower offshore wind project. When I see large renewable projects, I see my kids. I see legacy work that we can be proud of. My wife makes fun of me sometimes that I can’t just “shut it off.” I am always talking about EJ, always talking about renewables, always fielding questions at parties from friends on the topic.

Is there an issue that you're thinking a lot about but feel isn't getting enough attention?

Climate change impacts. Climate is the ultimate natural cascading system. If you mess with climate, effects then filter down and multiply as they go to the next, lower parts of the system. Then it comes down to a question of risk and what kind of world do we want. Climate modeling systems have advanced to the point where we can clearly see which areas will have to worry about heat more than others. Likewise with flooding, and storm impacts, and loss of seasonality, and migration, etc. Those in more affluent areas may just absorb the changes, pay more for their goods and services over time, and not think much of it, but those in poorer areas without the immediate capacity to respond, with higher levels of pre-existing health conditions, will feel this much more. I think about this stuff all the time. I can’t turn it off. When you really learn what to look for in the data, where to look, you can’t unsee it. There’s no one magic answer to all of this, climate change is too big. But there are smarter and more sustainable planning choices that we can make to start getting this under better control.

What are you reading/listening/watching that others need to know about?

The next four on my reading list (in no particular order):

John Adams by David McCullough

All We Can Save edited by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Dr. Katharine K. Wilkinson

The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein

No Miracles Needed Mark Z. Jacobsen 

An air quality and environmental professional since 2007, Chris Whitehead is a Senior Environmental Justice Consultant at Worley. He had this to say about joining their team in February: "I am happier at Worley than I have ever been professionally. I am working with people who truly have sustainability at the core of what they do, and the technical chops to translate that to a wide range of projects. We spend each day on issues that I really care about, looking for ways to help clients implement long-term plans that are more efficient. I am helping to lead EJ efforts for one of the largest engineering and consulting companies in the world, focusing on decarbonization and renewables projects. It’s an exciting time."