Table of Contents
Abstract 3
Introduction 4
Engineering and the Environment 4
The Role of an Engineer 5
The Energy Challenge 5
Automobiles 6
Civil Engineering 7
Chemical and Manufacturing Engineering 8
Electrical and Electronic Engineering 9
Environmental Engineering 10
Structural Engineering 10
Conclusion 12
References 12
Abstract
Engineers and their innovations are often held responsible for detrimental effects on the environment and their responsibility towards the environment is questioned. In contrast with popular belief however, engineers are well aware of their responsibility and recognise their role as key drivers of environmental protection. Engineers are actively playing their part by constantly innovating designs, products and processes and bring them in line with principles of sustainability development. Such examples might be seen across every field in engineering. Structural engineers for example are working on reducing industry dependence on coal and concrete and are looking forward to support buildings with the help of using wood and frames. Engineers are busy exploiting options to counter the energy challenge and present the world with viable sources of commercial energy generation in the future. Experiments in this context have been carried out with solar, wind and water energy. Automobile engineers are also working towards reduction of carbon and harmful gas emission and are attempting to create commercially viable vehicles that would make use of solar, electric or hydrogen generated power. Engineers recognise that they like every other citizen are responsible towards the environment and are playing their part in promoting sustainability development in their design and field.
Introduction
With continuing expansive growth in human population, the rate of consumption of available natural resources is also increasing rapidly. It is being predicted that available reserves of natural resources might only be fit for consumption for approximately 30 years leaving human populations with very few options in post exhaustion scenario (Gamage et al, 2013). Governments around the world are aware of the persistent problem of global warming and are seeking active measures so as to limit the same. Scarcity of water fit for global consumption and agricultural purposes is forcing individuals to look for ways which might be able to effectively treat waste water or channelize river water thereby making it fit for usage. Increasing levels of air pollution around the globe are also encouraging experiments with the usage of solar energy in the automobile industry (Richardson & Michael, 2012).
Engineers with their knowledge and skills have an active role to play in a world faced with challenging sustainability expectations. They have the capability of deploying their knowledge and devising methods of tapping renewable sources of energy as a viable alternative to natural resources. Automobile engineers might be able to improve vehicle efficiency and reduce the amount of environmental pollution (Zalewski, 2014). Engineers might foster sustainability development and design green buildings for reducing global carbon footprint. Engineers might also work on devising ways to preserve biodiversity and help sustain ecological balance of the world. Providing a holistic view of the situation, it might be suggested that engineers can actively facilitate sustainability development and help the world conquer environmental challenges that it is faced with today (Gidado, 2014).
In light of this discussion, this report is aimed at elaborating the role that an engineer can play in protecting the environment. The report stresses on the fact that the environment is an important concern for engineers as every engineer is socially and morally responsible for impact of his/her design on the environment. Lastly, the report highlights areas where engineers might successfully make use of their knowledge and skills so as to foster sustainable development.
Engineering and the Environment
Engineers are often viewed as technical experts who are responsible for using materials and available technology for creating designs and structures for human benefit and convenience. In this context, their role and often their concerns towards the environment are often questioned. It is believed that engineers are the ones responsible for causing maximum damage to the environment by disrupting natural ecological balance (Rutkauskas, 2012). This however is not true as engineers are equally responsible and concerned about the environment. Technology cannot be simply deployed to processes as though it has no impact on the environment and on existing ecological systems. Engineers have a responsibility to try and devise new methods which would serve to move human activity in line with patters which can be sustained in perpetuity (Allen & Shonnard, 2012).
This concern has led to the development of the concept of sustainability engineering. In addition to changing the manner in which engineering designs are made, sustainability engineering is allowing engineers to shift behaviour and consumption patterns. Engineers are able to exercise their responsibility towards the society along with fulfilling their responsibilities towards their immediate clients or customers (Basu et al, 2014).
Engineers will always continue to play a key role in designing and managing complex systems or designing simple systems for management of complex needs. Sustainability development however has served to redefine the context in which engineering skills and knowledge needs to be deployed (Jerneck et al, 2011). Instead of presenting engineers with a new set of tools, sustainability engineering has become the new integrative principle and a new foundation on which technical and environmental issues can be dealt with together (Alwi et al, 2014).
The Role of an Engineer
Complying with principles of sustainability development, engineers are playing a vital role in transforming processes and actions across all disciplines.
The Energy Challenge
Engineers are constantly faced with the challenge of meeting increasing global demands for energy consumption. In accordance with research reports, current global use of commercial energy is approximately equal to 9,700 million tonnes of oil on an annual basis (Jones et al, 2014). This demand is majorly fulfilled by fossil fuels which are depleting at a rapid rate. Although developed countries like the U.S.A, U.K and Australia are undertaking active attempts to cut back on their dependence on fossil fuels, demand from developing nations such as India and China is on the rise (Rutkauskas, 2012).
Increasing evidence is suggestive of the fact coal is responsible for emitting most carbon dioxide (as compared to other fossil fuels) per unit of energy that it delivers. The rate of usage of coal in turn is responsible for notable detrimental effects on the environment (Taheri Najafabadi, 2013). Although the use of nuclear power as a viable alternative to fossil fuels is being examined in various parts of the world, associated issues (economic, political, safety and disposal of radioactive waste) with nuclear power have not been resolved as of now (Gidado, 2014).
In order to be able to successfully take on this challenge in the future and serve their obligations towards the environment, engineers are attempting to tap renewable sources of energy. Solar energy is the first source of consideration as the estimated amount of solar energy which reaches the earth in a day is roughly equivalent to 30 years of global commercial energy usage (Gamage et al, 2013).
Owing to their persistent efforts in this direction, engineers have succeeded in creating the first ever fixed wing aircraft (also known as solar impulse) capable of utilizing solar power to travel around the Earth. Solar impulse is a single seat monoplane which can take off under its own power and can remain airborne for up to 36 hours (Gamage et al, 2013). The aircraft was first tested in the year 2009 and its first successful flight consisted of completing entire diurnal solar cycle. The aircraft could also successfully store solar energy and remained airborne for 9 hours during the night. Subsequent successful multi-stage flights were carried across Spain and U.S.A in 2012 and 2013 respectively (Jones et al, 2014).
In addition to making efforts for converting, storing and making use of solar energy, engineers are also attempting to counter the energy challenge by trying to make use of wind, water and biomass energy. With the help of continued research and experimentation, engineers are devising new and efficient ways of finding long term viable alternatives to non-renewable sources of energy (Miller, 2014).
Engineers firmly believe that renewable sources of energy have the required technical potential to meet the ever increasing global energy demand and permanently replace energy produced by fossil fuels. No single conversion technology however has been discovered till date so as to make this possible. Continued attempts are being made in this direction (Allen & Shonnard, 2012).
Automobiles
The automobile industry is also hugely responsible for contributing to global warming owing to its large energy consumption and exhaust gasses. In order to ensure continual delivery of good performance coupled with environmental protection, engineers are working towards making use of renewable sources of energy as fuel (Klotz et al, 2014). Experiments with series hybrid concept (either fuel cell or combustion powered) are being conducted so as to find viable replacements to non-renewable sources of energy. Electric cars have already become a reality in several parts of the world although their cost of production and commercial viability is still under the scanner (Azapagic & Persan, 2014). Similarly, a few solar powered cars have also been produced and tested even though they are not commercially viable as of now. Hydrogen is also being viewed as a fuel that might be used to replace fossil fuels especially in transport applications (Costanza, 2012).
Alternately, engineers are also working on reducing carbon emission rates of current cars by introducing carbon capture and storage techniques. These techniques are aimed at achieving ‘near zero’ carbon emissions and have been somewhat successful in achieving this objective (Miller, 2014).
Civil Engineering
Another such example might be cited from civil engineering where engineers have deployed principles of sustainability development to a project called Jubilee River. Past engineering efforts have witnessed the construction of various flood alleviation channels. Although these were designed to protect established human communities from devastating effects of river floods, they added no or extremely limited value to landscapes into which they were constructed (Haselbach, 2011). Jubilee River however has been constructed keeping sustainability principles in mind and has been designed so as to have various environmental features of a natural river. The construction of Jubilee River was proposed as an alternative to techniques (including upstream storage, creation of protective banks and relief channels) that were available to reduce the risk of floods to communities settled along river Thames in the UK (Costanza, 2012).
Civil engineers and planners while trying to devise a solution to reduce the risk of floods to approximately 5,500 homes in Windsor, Eton and Maidenhead came up with a unique proposition. They suggested the construction of a flood channel which has not been designed like the traditional concrete channel but mostly like a natural river with numerous public and wildlife amenities (Klotz et al, 2014). It was further proposed that this would significantly reduce the risk of flooding and would deliver additional benefits of re-creating a natural habitat that had been lost owing to previous damages inflicted by river Thames. The proposition was strongly supported by the funding body of the scheme and the project was constructed in reality. Jubilee River came to life with an average width of 45 m and a maximum capacity of 200 m3/sec (Azapagic & Persan, 2014). It closely resembles river Thames channel in that region in its size and capacity and has been extremely effective in reducing flood risk (Costanza, 2012).
Chemical and Manufacturing Engineering
Engineers have successfully served their obligations towards the society and towards the environment in fields of chemical and manufacturing engineering as well. For years, the focus of sustainability engineering and impact on the environment has been discussed in terms of global warming, depleting ozone layer and in motor vehicle industry where effects on the environment are clearly obvious (Basu et al, 2014). However, products of everyday use with less obvious impact on the environment have been ignored. The FMCG sector (responsible for production and manufacturing of laundry cleaning products) is extremely fast moving and highly competitive in the current market scenario (Haemmerle et al, 2012). The sector is also the largest spender in terms of television advertising and has several multi-national players constantly competing against one another. Fierce competition coupled with the need to serve customers better has thus resulted in several product changes (including changing to spray-dyed synthetic detergents from soap based powders, development of effective bleaches, introduction of fabric washing agents in liquid form etc) (Huang & Wang, 2013).
Where these developments have tremendously served to improve customer convenience, negative environmental impacts might be noticed in the form of foaming of rivers, non-biodegradable packaging materials, using animals to carry out product safety tests, contribution of fertilizers, detergents to addition of phosphates to lakes and rivers around the world etc (Miller, 2014).
Engineers working the field of chemical and manufacturing engineering shouldered the responsibility of reducing negative impacts of the FMCG sector on the environment. In this respect, they created detergents and bleaching agents in unit-dose tablet formats and introducing a net to hold these tablets. One major environmental benefit of these actions was that they helped in reducing use of packaging and raw materials (Allen & Shonnard, 2012). This in turn helped in reduction in environmental waste by several thousand tonnes on an annual basis. Engineers involved in manufacturing of these detergents also undertook several educational campaigns across Europe so as to communicate the industry’s sustainability profile to consumers (Killeen et al, 2012). These campaigns were centred on educating customers about the industry’s shift from one form of cleaning agents to the other along with correct techniques of washing and conservation of resources. Complying with their obligations for the environment, engineers have therefore taken active charge of changing the outlook of FMCG sector and reducing its detrimental impact on the environment (Alwi et al, 2014).
Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Mobile phones are the icon of the 21st century and the resultant of sophisticated software and hardware engineering efforts. With the continued introduction of ever interesting and interactive applications in the android marketplace and the Apple Store, this trend is expected to continue (Mihelcic & Zimmerman, 2014). However, mass production of mobile phones has recently come under the scrutiny for its detrimental effects on the environment. Among potential impacts that are being discussed, human health risks are a major cause of concern. In addition to these concerns life-cycle impacts on the environment are now being investigated. Interventions are now in place to push responsibility of improvement on-to manufacturers and designers of mobile phones (Marteel-Parrish & Abraham, 2013).