A Pathway Towards Sustainability How the engineering profession can contribute to the movement towards sustainability by William A. Wallace Sr. Vice President CH2M HILL presented to the Engineers International Roundtable National Academy of Engineering 13 September 2002
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A Pathway Towards Sustainability How the engineering profession can contribute to the movement towards sustainability by William A. Wallace Sr. Vice President.
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A Pathway Towards Sustainability
How the engineering profession can contribute to the movement towards sustainabilitybyWilliam A. WallaceSr. Vice PresidentCH2M HILL
presented to theEngineers International RoundtableNational Academy of Engineering13 September 2002
Moving Toward a Sustainable Future How do you shift from a non-sustainable
pathway toward a sustainable pathway? Problems
Legacy investment in non-sustainable technologies, processes and systems
Sustainable development viewed as an expense, not as an opportunity
Poor environment for innovation
Three Steps Develop a practical awareness of the
sustainable development issue Create a sustainable project roadmap Develop a sustainability knowledge base
Developing a Practical Awareness of the Sustainable Development Issue
Is sustainable development an issue worthy of concern? What are the metrics of sustainability
Non-renewable resources (minerals, fuels) Use < Development of
renewable substitutes
Pollution emissions Emissions < Carrying
capacity of environment
The Debate Over Sustainability
Minerals, Metals, Fuels Resources (Non-Renewable)
Ecological Resources (Renewable)
Impending resource shortages
Reaching carrying capacity
No real resource shortages
No real resource shortages
Technological advances will continue to
“save the day”
Resource Constrained Resource Abundance
Impending Resource Shortages
Technology not capable of making additional needed
resources economically
available
Little ecological
damage
Substantial ecological
damage
Carrying capacity not in jeopardy
Creating A Sustainable Project Roadmap
If sustainability is an important issue, then how will we change course? Making progress project by project.
Approach Create a sustainability framework for evaluation
Advance the state-of-the-practice Determine current state of the practice Set targets based on best-in-class technologies,
achievements by others Evaluate using sustainability-based criteria Systems evaluation
Sustainability is a journey, not a binary choice Economic viability is critical!
Five-Step Process Step 1: Project Vision
Where are you going
Step 2: Fatal flaw analysis What issues might cause the project to fail?
Step 3: Benchmarking What existing projects can be used as indicators and benchmarks
for sustainable development?
Step 4: Sustainable technologies Which technologies can be incorporated into the design that meet
SD principles?
Step 5: Systems integration Do systems meet target benchmarks?
Process Flowchart
1
Project vision
2
Fatal Flaws?
Yes
Abandon Project
NoDefine Project
Concept
World of Projects
3Is project usable
for benchmarking?
Benchmarks
No
Drop
World of Technologies
4
SD technologies
No
Drop
5
Do integrated systems meet target
benchmarks?
Yes Report
Final target benchmark, integrated
SD systems.
No
Revise systems or
benchmarks
Pass SD screening?
Developing a Sustainability Knowledge Base
Develop and maintain a knowledge base of sustainable projects and technologies
Developing a Sustainability Knowledge Base Scan the world of technologies
Evaluate technologies against sustainability criteria
Use a sustainability framework (TNS, other) Scan the world of projects
Learn and record what has been achieved Verify performance
Maintain and disseminate the information
Technology EvaluationRenewable Technology Score*
Solar heating/cooling 1.00
Rooftop PV 2.69
Fuel Cells 3.00
Microgen 3.38
Solar Hot Water 2.00
Shading 1.00*1 is most sustainable, 5 is least sustainable
Earth Systems EngineeringEarth Systems EngineeringDepartment of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering at the University of Colorado at Boulder
Engineering for Developing CommunitiesThe Developing World as the Classroom of
the 21st Century
ChallengeTraining of engineers:
who have the skills and tools appropriate to address the issues that our planet is facing today and is likely to face within the next
20 years
who are aware of the needs of the developing world
who can contribute to the relief of the endemic problems of poverty afflicting developing communities worldwide
Earth Systems Engineering ”ESE is a multidisciplinary (engineering, science,
social science, and governance) process of solution development that takes a holistic view of natural and human system interactions. The goal of ESE is to better understand complex, nonlinear systems of global importance and to develop the tools necessary to implement that understanding”
(National Academy of Engineering, 2000)
DEVELOPING COMMUNITIESSUSTAINABILITY
SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE
APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY
GREEN DEVELOPMENT
RENEWABLE RESOURCES
CITY PLANNING AND DESIGNNATURAL CAPITALISM
TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM THINKING
Earth Systems Engineering
Engineers Without Borders
(Field Projects, Hands-on)
CU Program
Engineering for Developing Countries
(Education, R&D)
Students, Technology, Training, Education
Case Studies, Results, Applications,
Needs
University
NGOPartnership
Engineering for Developing Communities Outreach Component
On-Going EWB Projects• San Pablo, Belize – Design, construction, and
improvement of a water distribution system using ram pumps and rope pumps in wells
• San Pablo, Belize – Installation of a water filtration system and submersible generators to generate electricity using the river water current
• Seven Mile Village, Belize – Drilling and installation of wells to alleviate water collection problems
• Punta Gorda, Belize – Technical assistance to the Mayan School Satal Pal Canbalnah (Learning Center for the Lost Child)
On-Going EWB Projects (2)• Foutaka Zambougou, Mali and Bir Moghrein,
Mauritania - Using appropriate technology to solve water and electricity problems
• Jalapa Valley, Nicaragua – Using appropriate technologies to improve source water, sanitation, energy and communication (in partnership with Friendship City Project, Boulder)
• Santa Rita, Peru – Solving local rainfall-induced slope stability problems (in partnership with Peruvian Eco-Sustainable Research and Understanding, Lafayette)