Assignment # 2

Sustainability in Engineering
A definition of Sustainability:
The word "sustain" when used as an action or a process is associated with concepts such
as "to carry on" Or to "keep going". For example you sustain your body by giving it sufficient
nutrients, food and water. However you could keep your body going on stimulants and unhealthy
food which would prolong survival, but with a poor standard of living and probably not for very
long. Thus it could be called an unsustainable health program.
Similarly environmental sustainability embodies this concept of endurance applied to the
Earth's natural systems and our relationship with them as a human race. It is a concept of
organising ourselves with a long term view of the future; aiming for a system that will sustain us
and the word and not cause significant catastrophe to either.
The most common definition of sustainability comes from the 1987 Bruntland report and as as
follows:
Meeting present needs without compromising the a their needs" (Bruntland Report, 1987)
Several other definitions of sustainability have since been suggested, which include:
Sustainable means using methods, systems and materials that won't deplete resources or harm
natural cycles" (Rosenbaum, 1993).
Sustainability identifies a concept and attitude in development that looks at a site's natural land,
water, and energy resources as integral aspects of the development. (Vieira, 1993)
Sustainability integrates natural Systems with human patterns and celebrates continuity,
uniqueness and placemaking." (Early, 1993)
"Sustainable developments are those which fulfil present and future needs (WECO, 1987) while
[only] using and not harming renewable resources and unique human environmental Systems Of
a site: Lair-I, water, and, energy, and human ecology and/or those Of Other [off-site] sustainable
Systems (Rosenbaum 1993 and Vieria I993)." [1]

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Sustainability in Engineering:
Sustainable engineering is the process of designing or operating systems such that they
use energy and resources sustainably, in other words, at a rate that does not compromise the
natural environment, or the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Common engineering focuses:
1. Water supply
2. Food production
3. Housing and shelter
4. Sanitation and waste management
5. Energy development
6. Transportation
7. Industrial processing
8. Development of natural resources
9. Cleaning up polluted waste sites
10. Planning projects to reduce
environmental and social impacts

11. Restoring natural environments such as

forests, lakes, streams, and wetlands
12. Providing medical care to those in need
13. Minimizing and responsibility
disposing of waste to benefit all
14. Improving industrial processes to
eliminate waste and reduce
consumption
15. Recommending the appropriate and
innovative use of technology [2]

Every engineering discipline is engaged in sustainable

design, employing numerous initiatives, especially life
cycle analysis (LCA), pollution prevention, design for the
environment (DfE), design for disassembly (DfD), and
design for recycling (DfR). These are replacing or at least
changing pollution control paradigms. Historically,
sustainability considerations have been approached by
engineers as constraints on their designs. For example,
hazardous substances generated by a manufacturing
process were dealt with as a waste stream that must be
contained and treated. The hazardous waste production
had to be constrained by selecting certain manufacturing types, increasing waste handling
facilities, and if these did not entirely do the job, limiting rates of production. Green engineering
recognizes that these processes are often inefficient economically and environmentally, calling
for a comprehensive, systematic life cycle approach. Green engineering attempts to achieve four
goals: [3]
1. Waste reduction
2. Materials management
3. Pollution prevention
4. Product enhancement

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According to the World Federation for Engineering Organisations (WFEO), it is critical that
engineering graduates are equipped with the relevant knowledge and skills to effectively address
such challenges in society. Australian engineer, incoming WFEO president and former president
of Engineers Australia Barry Grear (AO), questions, What aspirational role will engineers play
in that radically transformed world? An ever-increasing global population that continues to shift
to urban areas will require widespread adoption of sustainability. Demands for energy, drinking
water, clean air, safe waste disposal, and transportation will drive environmental protection
[alongside] infrastructure development (Grear 2006).
It is very likely that future engineering will contain very little to do with creating fossil fuelbased products and services. While knowledge and skills in areas such as thermodynamics, fluid
mechanics and structures will still be required, knowledge and skills in areas such as energy
systems, chemical engineering, built environment, electricity production, engines and
combustion processes etc. will change significantly. In addition, Sharon Beder from the
University of Wollongong makes the point that Engineers often move into management, policy
and government, financial institutions, and not simply traditional engineering careers (Beder
1997). Hence Engineers are making a contribution in all these areas to sustainable development
using their technological knowledge to improve business and policy outcomes. [4]

References:
1. Aran Eales and Mike Clifford, Sustainability and Engineering, University of Nottingham, 2013 ,
Published at Smashwords
2. Huesemann, Michael H., and Joyce A. Huesemann (2011). Technofix: Why Technology Wont
Save Us or the Environment, Chapter 13, The Design of Environmentally Sustainable and
Appropriate Technologies, New Society Publishers, Gabriola Island, British Columbia,
Canada, ISBN 0865717044, 464 pp.
3. D. Vallero and C. Brasier (2008), Sustainable Design: The Science of Sustainability and Green
Engineering. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., Hoboken, NJ, ISBN 0470130628.
4. Cheryl J.K Desha, Karlson Charlie Hargroves, Michael H Smith and Peter Stasinopoulos, The
importance of sustainability in engineering education: A toolkit of information and teaching
material, (formerly Cheryl Paten) The Natural Edge Project, Centre for Environmental Systems
Research, Griffith University.

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