Sustainability an Engineering Ethics

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SustainabilityCOEB422 Engineers in Society

Dr Fazrena Azlee Bt Hamid

Semester 1, 2014/15

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Course Outcome 3

Able to relate the engineering field with sustainable development (environment, social and economic)

PO7 Demonstrate knowledge of the impact of professional engineering solutions in environmental contexts and the need for

sustainable development

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Content

1. The present: Engineers & Engineering

2. Development to Sustainable Development

3. What is Sustainability?

4. Why does it matter?

5. What is it to Sustain?

6. Sustainability and Engineers

7. Sustainability and Engineering

8. Sustainable Development in Malaysia

3 The present: Engineers & Engineering

Engineering and engineers have experienced a varied public image throughout the history of the profession.

In the days of the great Victorian advances, engineers were heroes of the day and received almost celebrity status.

During the first half of the 20th century, engineering was widely perceived as the profession of innovators who worked to satisfy a growing desire for products and services and who offered an improved standard of living.

In the past few decades, globally however, the public face of engineering has slipped somewhat and engineers frequently have been portrayed as

ruthless destroyers of the environment whose creations put the health and well-being of the public at risk.

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The present: Engineers & Engineering

The focus for many engineers throughout this time has been on producing physical outputs, but the actual essence of engineering is more fundamental

and the visible artifacts are merely the outward evidence of a deeper service given by engineers.

The engineering profession exists to provide for the needs of man and as a result of its activities has a major impact on:

A) the world ~ the quantity of non-renewable resources used and the quality of the natural environment (environmental system)

B) on its people ~ the services needed to support human gatherings (social system).

It is also likely to require (and generate) large amounts of money (economic system).

5 Development to Sustainable Development

By looking around us, we realize that as development takes place in humans life, the scarcity of resources continues along with a negative impact of the environment.

Like it OR Not, effectively, the objective of engineering has to be redefined from `development' to `sustainable development',

from the open and unfettered application of technology to the `creative application of technology to achieve sustainable development

Sustainable development is concerned with balancing the various aspects of economic, social, and environmental issues, but it is not an end state in itself, but rather is the route towards an optimal solution.

Sustainable development is primarily about making improvements and decisions in a beneficial direction towards a better future for the generations to come.

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Sustainability - definitions

A condition in which natural and social systems survive and thrive together

indefinitely

Sustainable development is the development that meets the needs of the

present generation without compromising the ability of future generations

to meet their needs

7 Sustainability - definitions

UNESCO UN Decade for Sustainable Development:

Sustainability is a systemic concept, relating to the continuity of economics, social institutional, and environmental aspects of human society.

It is intended to be a means of configuring civilization and human activities so that society, its members and its economies are able to meet their needs and express their greatest potential in the present, while preserving biodiversity and natural ecosystems, and planning and acting for the ability to maintain these ideals indefinitely.

Sustainability affects every level of organization, from the local neighborhood to the entire planet.

UNESCO is the lead agency for the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014)

*UNESCO: United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization

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Why does it matter?

Social inequity

Environmental upsets

Global climate change and ozone depletion

Species extinction

Increase in waste (2 4 lbs / day)

Global carrying capacity limits (is mother natured stressed up ?):

I = P x A x T

I = environmental impact or stress

P = Population

A = Affluence or consumption levels

T = Material or energy intensity (usage)

Uncertainty of the future

9 What is to be Sustained?

Dimensions and Objectives:

Resource Consumption:

minimize the consumption of matter and energy

Ecosystem Impacts:

minimize negative environmental impacts

Human Satisfaction:

satisfy human needs and aspirations

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HEALTH

JUST

EFFICIENCY

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What is to be Sustained?Example: Transportation

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Economic Sustainability

Human Capital

Often simply refers to labor

More subtly, the ability of an individual to produce or increase income:

Knowledge

Skills

Health

Right Values

Activities that increase human capital

Education

Training

Medical care

13 Environmental Sustainability

Maintenance of Natural Capital

Ecosystem services that enable life

Sources

Stocks of raw materials

Flows of renewable resources

Sinks

Capacity to assimilate wastes

Output Rule:

Waste emission cant exceed assimilative capacity of local environment

Input Rule:

Renewables: Harvest rates should be within regenerative rates

Non-renewables: Harvest rates should be below that rate at which renewable substitutes are developed

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Social Sustainability

Social Capital

No Consensus definition

Knowledge and rules of interaction in culture and institutions

Legal system

Government

Social Sustainability general includes addressing basic needs of population

Recognitions of social issues in traditional development economics predate environmental concerns

Income distribution

Quality of life

Illiteracy

Hunger

Institutional participation

Increasing choice

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Sustainability and Engineers16

Sustainability and Engineers

Requires an understanding of:

The effect of technology on humans, society and the environment

Approaches to reduce negative effects of technology

Defining the causes of problems

Systems thinking

Innovative, sustainable solutions

17 Sustainability and Engineers: The

Temporal Context

Our inability to learn from the past and apply that to the future is a major problem for sustainability

We tend to move towards quick, easy solutions

Traditional product design does not consider end of product life

Budgeting practices look more toward short term returns (no life cycle cost analysis)

Incorporating a temporal context (time based) requires an understanding of life cycle analysis, long term impact assessment and risk management

Requires an understanding of change over time or process thinking

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Sustainability and Engineers: The

Leadership Role

As trained professionals, with an understanding of technology, society, the environment and process thinking, sustainability engineers will have the

capacity and capability to become leaders of society

They must therefore be trained to understand the role of leaders and to have good leadership skills

19 Sustainability and the Engineering

Disciplines

Although derived from environmental engineering, sustainability engineering goes far beyond that discipline

Since it deals with the design, development and management of all technology in relation to society, it should be brought into all engineering

disciplines

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Sustainability Practices

Because sustainability has a long-term focus, beyond the

life of most engineering projects, products, processes or

systems, methodology and resource used needs to focus

on both short- and long-term factors. This is often far

beyond the duties imposed by professional codes of

ethics.

21 Four key sustainability factors for

engineers

1.Managing changes in the environment,

2.Ensuring the equity and safety of engineering activities,

3.Holistic problem solving, and

4.Making good existing problems.

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1. Managing changes in the

environment

Engineers must thoroughly consider and project or plan that will have a significant impact on the life support functions upon which human well-

being depends, many of which are irreplaceable. Example,

use and placement of dams on waterways

Minimise waste products, particularly hazardous ones, from the total life cycle of engineered products, processes or system

23 2. Equity and safety of engineering

activities

Engineering projects at improving the overall quality of life for humans and other life forms, but not at the long-term expense of the environment.

Give greater priority to projects, products and processes that decrease significant gaps in health, security, social recognition, and political

influence between groups of people.

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3. Holistic problem solving

Take an integrated systems approach or an overall holistic approach to considering all stakeholders and the effect on the environment when

attempting to solve problems.

Rather than focusing solely on the technology aspects, and solving one problem at the expense of another, aim for a co-ordinated overall solution.

25 4. Making good existing problems

Where desirable, and technically and economically practicable, remedy past environmental degradation. Example,

Land degradation, groundwater contamination and hazardous waste sites should be considered for stabilisation at a minimum and, wherever possible, total clean-up to current or foreseeable standards.

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Sustainability and Engineering27

Sustainability Issues in Engineering

Example I: Mobile Phones

Phases of life cycle of a mobile phone:

Extraction and processing of raw materials

Components manufacture

Transport of components to assembly plant

Phone assembly

Transport of phones to distribution network

Use of phones

End of life

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Sustainability Issues in Engineering

Example II: Energy Challenge

Issues on energy:

Global energy use is dominated by fossil fuels

Demand of energy use is exponentially increased

Unequal distribution of energy use

Adverse impacts on global climate

Fast depletion of fossil fuel resources

Social, technical and political issues on usage of nuclear energy

Constraints on other sources of renewable energy

29 Definitions

Green Technology is the development and application of products, equipment and systems used to conserve the natural environment and

resources, which minimises and reduces the negative impact of human activities.

Renewable Energy is any form of primary energy from recurring Energy (RE) and non-depleting resources, such as agricultural produce, hydro-power, wind, solar etc.

Energy Efficiency is the efficient use of energy in a manner that Efficiency (EE) utilises less energy for producing the same output.

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SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS: Green

Buildings Guy (1997) outlines five varying visions of green buildings that are found

throughout society

the ecological, smart, comfort, aesthetic and community visions

GREEN BUILDING CONCEPT (GBI) IN MALAYSIA

31 SUSTAINABLE ENERGY

Overall policy framework declares that energy services must aim to achieve:

environmental sustainability

a continuing improvement in our energy efficiency

a progressive transition to renewable sources of energy

the lowest possible costs and prices to consumers

prices that reflect the full costs of supply, including environmental costs

reliable and secure supplies of essential energy services

fairness in pricing, so that the least advantaged in the community have access to energy services at reasonable prices

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SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION

In the near future, a variety of techniques will be needed to manage traffic demand, including:

land use planning to deter urban sprawl

road tolling techniques, including congestion

parking supply management and pricing fuel

high occupancy vehicle lanes

more support for walking and cycling

33 SUSTAINABLE WATER

Engineers must also consider when and where sustainable water services can be achieved and what water infrastructure is required in the local,

regional and national contexts.

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SUSTAINABLE SOLID WASTE

MANAGEMENT

Solid wastes (any material, solid, liquid or gas that is unwanted and or unvalued, and discarded or discharged by its owner) are placing increasing pressure on the various waste sinks in our environment that are currently used to accommodate them.

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Sustainable Development in Malaysia

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The Government of Malaysia offers attractive incentives to

encourage the generation of Renewable Energy (RE) and the

adoption of Energy Efficiency (EE) initiatives as well as for

improvement of Power Quality (PQ) amongst energy producers and users in Malaysia and to ensure sustained national economic

development for the future. The Ministry of Energy, Green

Technology and Water (MEGTW) is responsible for the implementation of national policies relating to RE and EE and

desires to accelerate the adoption of RE and EE initiatives in the

country and the provision of high quality power where required.37

Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water

Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water Malaysia (KeTTHA) was established on 9 April 2009

Vision

Industry leader in the Sustainable Development of Energy and the National Water and Green Technology.

Mission

To formulate policies and establish the legal framework and effective regulation;

Setting the direction for the energy industry, green technologies and the water industry in line with national development goals and

Develop an efficient management system and an effective monitoring mechanism.

Objectives

Ensure the implementation of development policies in the power industry, water and green technology effectively;

Ensure the provision of comprehensive infrastructure, an integrated, standards and quality;

To provide a conducive environment for industrial development and technology;

Provide research and development (R & D) continued to increase in the use of technology;

Ensure service delivery system that is efficient, effective and affordable;

Ensuring that the regulatory mechanisms implemented in accordance with the provisions of existing legislation and

Improving the ability of the organization on an ongoing basis to achieve the industry and green technologies.

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Malaysia Green Technology

Corporation

Malaysia Green Technology Corporation (GreenTech Malaysia) formerly known as Pusat Tenaga Malaysia (PTM) was established on 12th May 1998. GreenTechMalaysia, registered as an independent and non-for-profit organization for energy research in Malaysia under the Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water.

GreenTech Malaysia functions are:

Implementing Agency in Green Technology

National Lead Manager in the development of Green Technology

Promoting green technology initiatives and programs

Focal point to set standards and database

Coordinating the research, development and application related to national Green Technology development

The new scope was the expansion of one-stop centre functions previously carried out.

39 Incentives And Financial Support In

Green Technology

To promote the development of green technology activities, the Government:

In the announcement of Budget 2010, the Government has allocated RM1.5 billion as a soft loans to manufacturers and nationwide consumers through the Green Technology Financing Scheme (GTFS)

Building owners who have been certified the Green Building Index (GBI) from 24th October 2009 to 31st December 2014 will be granted for the income tax exemption which is equal to the additional capital expenditure to obtain the certificate;

Home buyers who had received the GBI certificate from the developer property will be given duty stamp exemption on documents of transfer; and

The amount of exemption is equal to the additional cost to obtain the certificate. This exemption is qualified for buyers who have completed the sale and purchase of agreement from 24th October 2009 to 31st December 2014.

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Lets make a difference to the world - through sustainable development based upon wise practice of engineering41

References

Past lecture notes of COEB422 on Sustainability by Assoc Prof Dr. Ir. LariyahMohd. Sidek & Assoc Prof Dr Ir Faris Tarlochan.

Past lecture notes of COEB422 on Sustainability Principles by Assoc Prof. Dr Ir Au Mau Teng.

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Other Resources Handbook: Incentives for Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency & Green

Buildings in Malaysia by KeTTHA (2009)

Sustainable Development Initiatives in Malaysia (2010), Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC) http://www.mpc.gov.my/mpc

THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT TIMELINE (2009), International Institute of Sustainable Development http://www.iisd.org/pdf/2009/sd_timeline_2009.pdf