Sustainable engineering
Encyclopedia
Sustainable engineering is the process of using energy and resources at a rate that does not compromise the natural environment, or the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
What engineers can do
- Water supply
- Food production
- Housing and shelter
- Sanitation and waste management
- Energy development
- Transportation
- Industrial processing
- Development of natural resources
- Cleaning up polluted waste sites
- Siting and planning projects to reduce environmental and social impacts
- Restoring natural environments such as forests, lakes, streams, and wetlands
- Improving industrial processes to eliminate waste and reduce consumption
- Recommending the appropriate and innovative use of technology
Accomplishments from 1992 to 2002
- The World Engineering Partnership for Sustainable DevelopmentSustainable developmentSustainable development is a pattern of resource use, that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for generations to come...
(WEPSD) was formed and they are responsible for the following areas: redesign engineering responsibilities and ethic to sustainable development, analyze and develop a long term plan, find solution by exchanging information with partners and using new technologies, and solve the critical global environment problems, such as fresh waterFresh WaterFresh Water is the debut album by Australian rock and blues singer Alison McCallum, released in 1972. Rare for an Australian artist at the time, it came in a gatefold sleeve...
and climate change - Developed environmental policies, codes of ethics, and sustainable development guidelines
- Earth CharterEarth CharterThe Earth Charter is an international declaration of fundamental values and principles considered useful by its supporters for building a just, sustainable, and peaceful global society in the 21st century...
was restarted as a civil societyCivil societyCivil society is composed of the totality of many voluntary social relationships, civic and social organizations, and institutions that form the basis of a functioning society, as distinct from the force-backed structures of a state , the commercial institutions of the market, and private criminal...
initiative - The World Bank, United Nations Environmental ProgramUnited Nations Environment ProgrammeThe United Nations Environment Programme coordinates United Nations environmental activities, assisting developing countries in implementing environmentally sound policies and practices. It was founded as a result of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in June 1972 and has its...
, and the Global Environment FacilityGlobal Environment FacilityThe Global Environment Facility unites 182 member governments — in partnership with international institutions, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector — to address global environmental issues....
joined programs for sustainable development - Launched programs for engineering students and practicing engineers on how to apply sustainable development concepts in their work
- Developed new approaches in industrial processes
Future goals
- Reduce the demand for predatory priced goods such as CambodianCambodiaCambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
wood through self-use of resources, to increase the demand (for the same supply), thus increase price, thus reducing demand - Creating a comprehensive program to identify and provide the information that engineers in developing countriesDeveloping countryA developing country, also known as a less-developed country, is a nation with a low level of material well-being. Since no single definition of the term developing country is recognized internationally, the levels of development may vary widely within so-called developing countries...
require to meet energy, water, food, health, and other basic human needsMaslow's hierarchy of needsMaslow's hierarchy of needs is a theory in psychology, proposed by Abraham Maslow in his 1943 paper A Theory of Human Motivation. Maslow subsequently extended the idea to include his observations of humans' innate curiosity... - Give education for student and practicing engineers to make them realize the importance of sustainability and become environment generalists
- Engaged in decision-making processes and performing projects
- Develop better approaches with the consideration of a project’s environmental costs, impacts, and conditions throughout a project’s life cycle
- Improve the education on sustainability and provide help in developing countries
See also
- Environmental engineeringEnvironmental engineeringEnvironmental engineering is the application of science and engineering principles to improve the natural environment , to provide healthy water, air, and land for human habitation and for other organisms, and to remediate polluted sites...
- Civil engineeringCivil engineeringCivil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
- Green buildingGreen buildingGreen building refers to a structure and using process that is environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle: from siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition...
- Environmental engineering scienceEnvironmental Engineering ScienceEnvironmental engineering science is a multidisciplinary field of engineering science that combines the biological, chemical and physical sciences with the field of engineering...
- SustainabilitySustainabilitySustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
- EcotechnologyEcotechnologyEcotechnology is an applied science that seeks to fulfill human needs while causing minimal ecological disrupution, by harnessing and subtly manipulating natural forces to leverage their beneficial effects...