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Solar engineer - Nearly all the energy we use is already ultimately solar in origin. Even fossil fuels stem from some amount of solar energy. Solar energy is the future.

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Sustainable fishermen - Unless we take a more sustainable approach to fishing, our favorite seafood will continue to be fished into oblivion and eventually extinction.

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Virologist - Viruses have been described as "organisms at the edge of life" and cause of some of the deadliest diseases, such as Ebola, AIDS, and West Nile fever.

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Social worker - Social workers are the hands-on change-pushers of the world.

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Seed banker - As humans continue to "improve" crops, we're slowly homogenizing them, causing species to disappear. Seed banks aim to provide back-up copies of all the plants we use for the event of famine or global catastrophe. Pictured is the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway.

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Asteroid tracker - If an asteroid heads our way, we'll need to be prepared.

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Seismologist - The science of earthquake prediction can help us mitigate the toll of events such as tsunamis, which have caused terrible devastation in the past several years.

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Park ranger - Conservation matters, and national parks are some of our most valuable assets.

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Nutritionist - Health care professionals and policymakers are increasingly looking to preemptive measures rather than medical intervention.

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Nuclear non-proliferation agent - There are bureaucrats tasked with keeping track of nukes and preventing them from being used.

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Bioethicist - Biotechnology is already changing our world by using living systems and organisms to develop new products.

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Battlefield medic - Military medicine has come a long way and continues to improve in terms of technological advancements, but human knowledge is still very much in need.

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Ecumenical leader - Spiritual leaders foster understanding that is much needed to balance our 24-hour news cycle.

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Conflict mediator - Mediators can act on a small scale—in the context of divorce, crime, and personal and family disputes—or on a large scale—in the context of resolving issues between communities and nations.

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Schoolteacher - It's been said so many times that it's become cliché, but everything starts with education.

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Public defender - Many innocent people are sent to jail for the sole reason of being unable to afford a lawyer. Public defenders play an important role in upholding our constitutional rights.

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Child life specialist - These health care professionals work with children and families to help them cope with the challenges of hospitalization, illness, and disability.

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Writer - New concepts and ideas are still spread through the power of words.

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Nun or monk - Religious figures can help promote the sense of belonging in communities.

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Oncologist - Cancer is projected to cause 11.4 million deaths in 2030, and these medical professionals can play a crucial role in preventing and treating this beast.

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Safety engineer - Safety engineers are involved in every major industrial design enterprise, and work to ensure that your car doesn’t decapitate you and that your power plant doesn’t melt down.

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Minesweeper - Landmines from conflicts litter many parts of the world, and demining these regions involves the delicate art of neutralizing the traps.

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Corporate social responsibility manager - These professionals work to ensure that corporations give something back to the communities they operate in.

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Firefighter - These public defenders date back to ancient Rome and still provide an invaluable service to society.

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Diplomat - Those involved in foreign service are tasked with representing their countries' interests abroad.

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Epidemiologist - These professionals analyze the way illness spreads through environments and societies to help prevent it.

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Translator - In an increasingly globalized world, being able to spread information quickly, regardless of language, is fundamental.

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Massage therapist - The blog calls this its "most frivolous entry," but being able to convince folks to take a step back and take care of their well-being is key to society.

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Election monitor - Elections are the center of democracy, and ensuring that they are free and legitimate is an invaluable service.

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Homeless advocate - Like social workers, these professionals promote change from within on a daily basis.

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