Memorandum

Date:          February 5, 2008

To:             Ms. Rachel Duchak, instructor/supervisor

From:        Heather Brown

Subject:     Focusing the Nation Goes Beyond Technology

Focus the Nation promotes exactly what its title says because saving the Earth will involve more than just one type of person or even one type engineer; it will take everybody. This revelation occurred to me after Focus the Nation when I received new information about conservation. Furthermore, I felt more motivated than ever to conserve and restore our planet. This memo will provide a summary of the Engineering Tech Solutions seminar, discuss how my particular engineering field relates to environmental conservation, and explain the connection between my personal values and Focus the Nation's ethics.

Summary

Focus the Nation focused the audience's attention with three prominent professors. Dr. Art MacCarley, electrical engineer, began the discussion with an estimation of the average global temperature change during the past 100 years. Carbon dioxide emissions caused less energy to get reradiated to space, and the Earth had a two-percent temperature increase. Therefore, if humans don't decrease CO₂ emissions, the average global temperature will continue to increase at a faster rate. Dr. MacCarley then continued with several ways to lower carbon dioxide emissions. His humorous suggestion to breathe less truly caught my attention because I would choose oxygen over cars any day. The subsequent ideas to vote and consume fewer manufactured goods seemed like much more preferable options.

Decreasing worldwide manufactured goods possibly means decreasing the number of worldwide people. So, how are we going to decrease the world's population? Dr. Linda Vanasupa, materials engineer, explained that many related factors contribute to the energy crisis:

Increasing sustainable development decreases poverty. Decreased poverty leads to increased gender equality. Increased gender equality decreases the number of people (birthrate).

Therefore, reducing carbon emissions and global warming must now involve many different disciplines and approaches.

Dr. Yarrow Nelson Professor, environmental engineer, warned against some of the approaches though. The carbon sequestration approach involves hiding the CO₂ somewhere. It can be geologically disposed in terrestrial areas or pumped into the ground. Both of these methods require 20-30% more money, energy, and fossil fuels. Obviously, sequestration would not be a practical solution. Another potential solution is using hydrogen as an alternative fuel, but the life cycle analysis, involving manufacturing, transport, use, and disposal, proves that producing hydrogen takes energy also.

Sustainability and Engineering

Sustainable solutions related to conservation directly relate to my general engineering major. Dr. Vanasupa stated that improved sustainability solutions must go beyond technology. For example, the engineers, psychologists, economists, and everybody will have to cooperate. Similar to the variety of people needed, my major has a variety of disciplines.

General engineers may be on the forefront of sustainability, especially in leadership roles because of the array of their degree. We need all of the approaches, but someone needs to lead, comprehend, and apply all of the different options. General engineering is a great major for that leadership role because technological critical thinking skills can be applied.

Ethics

The ethics involved with sustainability match closely to my ethics. For instance, I agree with the personal ethic of the Golden Rule, which says that you should do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Sustainability applies to the Golden Rule because we have a duty to future generations to not ruin the planet. Our ancestors may have damaged the Earth, but we now have an obligation to stop the damage.

Stopping the damage through sustainability, social ethics, and engineering all include maximizing efficiency. Social ethics has to do with utilitarianism, meaning “the greatest good for the greatest number of people.” Improved sustainability will require maximum effort. Furthermore, engineering is all about maximizing efficiency.

Regarding conservation ethics, Aldo Leopold states that you should consider your impact on the health and welfare of the ecosystem around you. After all, human health and survival are related to the Earth's health and survival. We should not hurt the Earth because we will be hurting ourselves.

Thank you for your attention to improve sustainability. You can do a lot to help the Earth. Do not fear being named a “tree hugger” because even the trees need some tender loving care.