Environmental Professionalism as Myth.

This paper asserts that the environmental profession does not exist but remains a commonly accepted myth. The human ability to create semantic categories is open to capricious behaviour, even though some of the results are openly acknowledged as subject to constant assessment and revision. Often, some categories become vestigial; yet others, such as 'futurist', 'knowledge manager' or 'environmental professional', express a chameleon quality, changing subtly to take on the flavour of the moment. Drawing evidence from the professional literature and the Internet, the paper argues that, although accurate definitions of terminology used between insiders can have great value, terms that want for clarity as they reach for inclusivity often border on the problematic. Citing case histories and drawing parallels with other disciplines, this paper proves that the 'Environmental Profession' is one such creation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]