To: Rachel Duchak From: Daren Childers Re: The Power of Renewable Engineering
Increasing the Political Will Ironically, correcting the cycle of climate change will require an even greater culture change. Mankind has gradually affected the global climate as industry and consumers insatiably seek increased comfort, increased power, and increased natural resource utility. Culture change, in which society ends its parasitic relationship with nature and becomes coexistent, requires an exceptionally rare selflessness. This change must begin with a change in leadership.
Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, the world's most abundant natural resources, fossil fuels, are becoming depleted as the global demand increases. While engineers continue to develop new ways to further harvest these fuels, California Assemblyman Sam Blakeslee believes there is no way for technological advances to keep pace with the global appetite for fossil fuel energy. Thankfully, the limited availability of fossil fuels has an impact that people can quantify as the rising cost of fuels affects their lifestyle. In effect, the increased prices finally provide motive for change and an increased focus on the environment, renewable energy, and the future. After finally gaining some social and political momentum, industry must act now to whet every consumer's appetite for a sustainable future. Application to Computer Engineering Every good engineer dreams of making the world a better place through the application of their new ideas and inventions. Often, that desire results in excess natural resource consumption. Every engineer, from environmental to mechanical, now faces the burden of designing systems that enhance, not detract from, the environment. These challenges exist for computer engineers as well. In fact, computer engineers may have a larger part in the solution to the upcoming environmental crisis than most other fields because of their aptitude in developing computer control systems. As engineering complexity increases, computer engineers must develop more efficient management systems. These control systems must responsibly manage the energy consumption, resource utilization, and waste production of all engineered systems. While engineering, industry, and consumer thinking moves toward a renewable future, computer engineers have the opportunity to make great contributions to improve the environment, one circuit at a time. My Ethical Responsibility as an Engineer Whether applied to robotic studies, space vehicle development, or environmental systems, ethics should guide an engineer's hand. I should ethically develop products which adhere to my values, society's standards, and benefit humanity. Today, compliance with those standards requires careful attention to my surroundings, my community and the environment. In reciting the Hippocratic Oath, a physician agrees to do no harm. Though never spoken, I believe an engineer should follow the same principle. However, in engineering, the requirement to do no harm is a much broader concept. Just as a chemist must worry about the system they work with and interactions with the surroundings, an engineer must attend both the successful implementation of their design and the impact that design will have on mankind and the world around them. The Simple Truth Nature Regardless of your role in society, the first step is to vote. Vote in local, state and federal elections to choose candidates that will work for you and your environment, and go to www.focusthenation.org/chooseyourfuture.php to pick the five environmental issues that matter most to you.
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Everyone shares responsibility for the environment. However, as an engineer, I have an increased ethical responsibility to develop technology that is sustainable and promotes environmental conservation. During the final presentation of California Polytechnic State University's Focus the Nation, speakers highlighted the need for societal commitment to renewable energy and the ethical responsibility of engineers in the development of sustainable mechanisms. Regardless of technological development, industry and consumer thinking will not change without political change and a government focused on change.
Paradoxically, in American society, voters need to move government toward environmental policy by electing concerned leaders so that the leaders may then affect policy and convince American society that, as California Congresswoman Lois Capps said during Focus the Nation, America has Òlittle time leftÓ to become more climate friendly. Sadly, even during this period of significant climate change and overwhelming evidence of global warming, according to Assemblyman Sam Blakeslee, ÒÉonly 55% of Americans view global warming as an issue that concerns them.Ó This nation needs a call to action to take the lead as the world's preeminent, united, environmentally conscious society.
provides everything mankind needs, but man's insatiable appetite for resources threatens the very symbiotic relationship that keeps people alive. Politicians need to pass laws and influence society to become more climate friendly. Industry needs to take responsibility for the development and manufacture of goods which promote a healthy relationship with the environment. In every way, in every application of the engineering process, engineers should work ethically toward a future that takes less and gives more back to the world.