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ENGR 201 Midterm Study Guide Summer 2024
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Chapter 1 : Introduction to Sustainable DevelopmentWhat is Sustainability ?
- Sustainability is the ability to maintain or support a process over time. Sustainability is often
broken into three core concepts: economic, environmental, and social.
Human impact on the environment?
Physical Changes:
- Deforestation and other alterations of landscapes (e.g., changes in terrain slope)
- Changes to the built environment (Structures such as buildings, bridges)
Chemical Changes:
- Changes to chemical constituents of soils and sediments (e.g., increased acidity and turbidity
of waters)
- Increases in the concentration of emitted substances in the air, water, and soil
Biological Changes:
- Changes in the viability of plants, fish, animals, and microorganisms due to altered
habitat and chemical constituents or concentrations, possibly leading to species
succession, extinction.
- Injury or illness to people, plants, and animals from exposure to and/or accumulation
of chemicals and their derivatives.
The Role of Engineering
- Engineers are primarily involved in problems related to technology development and
deployment.
- Engineers are often responsible for a wide range of activities that directly or indirectly
contribute to environmental change.
How do Engineers cause habitat destruction?
Anthropogenic environmental change fall into two broad categories:
- changes associated with land use (including depletion of natural resources)
- changes induced by emissions or residues from products and industrial processes
, How do Engineers cause Habitat destruction
Directly:
- Infrastructure Development: Engineers involved in large-scale
infrastructure projects, such as road construction.
- Mining and Extractive Industries: Engineers working in the mining and
extractive industries can directly cause habitat destruction through activities
such as surface mining, quarrying, and drilling.
Indirectly:
- Climate Change Mitigation Projects: While projects aimed at mitigating
climate change, such as the construction of renewable energy infrastructure,
can have environmental benefits, they can also indirectly contribute to habitat
destruction.
- Intensive Agriculture and Land Use Changes: Engineers involved in
agricultural development and land use planning can indirectly cause habitat
destruction through practices such as deforestation, wetland drainage, and
conversion of natural ecosystems into agricultural land.
Apply professional and responsible judgment and take a leadership role.
Professional engineers should:
- look at the broad picture
- ensure that their knowledge about sustainable development is up-to-date and be
prepared to influence the decision-making
- Identify options that take account of economic, social and environmental outcomes
- Ensure that offered solutions and options will contribute to sustainability
- Be aware that there are inherently conflicting and unmeasurable aspects of
sustainability
Guiding principles for engineers to achieve sustainability
- Engage with stakeholders
- Avoid working in isolation, involving other professionals at all stages of a project
- Utilize cross-disciplinary knowledge and diverse skills
- finding solutions to sustainability challenges for the benefit of society
- Seek a balanced approach
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