CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
In recent years, issues about the protection of the environment in line with the increasing use and development of technology have been the growing concerns of individuals, government, regulating agencies and industries. Focus is on waste treatment, pollution reduction, and safety of mankind for environmental sustainability. Industries have long realized that to be able to sustain the business, environmental management should be practiced continuously. That is, they should use the latest in technology in producing products or providing services but at the same time be able to be environment-friendly; be able to utilize the resources provided by nature without depleting it, and use technology without harming the environment.
For this, the paper will be on environmental study, focusing more on environmental engineering, which is concern on creating appropriate technology and innovations for the improvement and protection of the environment, and sustainable development, and applications of science and engineering principles to improve the environment. A brief history of environmental engineering is discussed followed by broad discussions on its scope, impact and benefits from it as well as the methods or principles for its applications.
The paper also discusses the current technologies, principles and applications of environmental engineering, covering their impact on the nature as well as in human as being a part of the environment. It is also important that the paper examines on the current standards on environmental engineering and management which provides overview on the common practices used and on how industries should comply with environmental protection and sustainability.
1.1 Background
The development of environmental engineering can be traced back as early as the time when the aqueducts were invented by the Romans to prevent drought and create a clean water supply (Wikipedia, 2006). As early as the 15th century, Bavaria created laws that restricted the development and degradation of alpine country that constituted their water supply
In London, during the 19th century, they had found out that proper sewerage could reduce the incidence of water-borne diseases (Wikipedia, 2006). It can also be traced that industrialization began in Europe, thus they must be the first to realize that industries often emit wastes form their factories that resulted to finding ways to treat water and sewage systems in order to prevent diseases.
In Hong Kong, the development of environmental engineering started when the population in the country increased tremendously. Hong Kong, from about 100,000 at the turn of the century to over 4 million by 1970, is currently about 6.9 million in population and still growing at a rate of 1%. As a small region with an area of 1,100 square kilometer, that population resulted to problems such as urban squatting, development of high-rise residential building with inadequate facilities, and emergence of industries. The increased in population requires the region to also increase its water supply, to improve its sewage system, and other systems.
The excessive demands, due to population growth and poverty in developing countries as well as due to the unsustainable lifestyles of the richer sectors of the world’s population, have placed immense stress on the environment[1]. As population grows, demands for consumer products increased and due to lifestyles of the people, more and more products, gadgets and equipments are being created, that drives the emergence of different industries, leading to the utilization of natural resources.
1.2 Scope of Environmental Engineering
Engineering involves the design and creation of new technology but technology as defined by Devon (1999), is the transformation of our natural and symbolic environments by human behavior. Therefore, engineering involves the transformation of the environment which is mostly done by the industries. Industries exist to provide mankind with the things they needed by transforming raw materials from the environment into products that are ready to used by human.
For example, because of human quest to for easier and faster transportation and due to growing knowledge in engineering, human had invented cars which are made of steel, rubber and glass, and use oil and gasoline to function. All the components of a car came from the environment and cars have greatly contributed to the changes in environment; infrastructures are made for its utilization and have made possible going to places. Another example is the creation of buildings which provided a suitable environment for human activities. In creating buildings, almost all of the resources needed are from nature such as wood, steel, iron, glass, cement, concrete and others.
These imply that engineering and environment affect each other. Engineers are involved in many stages of development projects of industries, and they are consequently more likely to come into close contact with the immediate environment (Nguyen et al, 1997). Issues of engineering development and the environment can not be separated.
However, as the environment is utilized in creating such products, the environment is also damaged. Factories produced wastes, and chemicals that contribute to water and air pollution that harm human health. Buildings with inadequate facilities greatly contributed in the production of wastes. Also, due to the growing population, the environment can not be able to handle increasing human waste as well as the increasing needs of the population, such as water and other natural resources needed by human in order to live thus, the development of environmental engineering to prevent further degradation of the environment.
According to the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (2004), Environmental Engineering is the application of scientific and engineering principles to assess, manage, and design sustainable environmental systems for the protection of human and ecological health.
Due to the broadness of scientific and engineering principles, Environmental Engineering encompasses various disciplines and specialties including Air Pollution and Quality Processes; Drinking Water, Surface Water, and Groundwater Quality; Chemical, Physical, and Biological Water and Wastewater Treatment Processes; Environmental Chemistry, Microbiology, Geology, and Ecology; Hydrology and Water Resources; Hazardous, Radioactive, and Solid Waste Management and Remediation; Environmental Toxicology and Risk Assessment; Public Health, Management and Policy; Global and Regional-Scale Environmental Impacts; Mathematical Modeling of Environmental Processes; Sustainable Engineering Systems; and Environmental Sampling, Sensors, Analytical Methods, and Nanotechnologies.
Public and private organizations and industries today especially those who are involved with disciplines such as Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, Marine and Chemical Engineering; Public Health, Chemistry, Biology, Geology and others are integrating these specialties/processes with their businesses processes driven by three key elements (Brattebo, 1995): (1) the recognition of systems thinking; (2) the development and implementation of regulation policies; and (3) the growing concern for long-term environmental cost-benefit parameters and overall competitiveness in industrial companies.
Recognition of Systems Thinking
Systems thinking is the consideration of environmental problems as part of a larger system (Brattebo, 1995). That involves consideration of different systems such as the product system or the company itself, environmental system or the environment and the society or social system, in relation to one another. A company is driven by systems thinking. In considering other systems before an action is taken, environmental problems will be known beforehand.
For example, considering the product system perspective in relation environmental system; a company will not use materials and production processes that will produce harmful wastes or if there are no alternative processes or materials, the company will seek for technology that will eliminate or lessen the harmfulness of such wastes. Through systems thinking, companies are able to eliminate or use countermeasures before environmental problems become more complex.
Moreover, there is what is called environmental technology (US White House, 1995) that is currently being used and further developed. Environmental technology is categorized into four groups: avoidance technologies; monitoring and assessment technologies; control technologies; and remediation and restoration technologies (Brattebo, 1995).
Avoidance technologies are the equipments, tools, process sensors and controls designed to avoid the production of hazardous substances, or the alternative practices, principles or processes that can reduce damage to the environment (Brattebo, 1995). These technologies are those that can help avoid or minimize pollution and production of waste materials. Companies used equipments, processes and technologies used in product substitution or in recycling of useful raw materials, products and energy waste streams (Brattebo, 1995).
Avoidance technologies and principles can be achieved and practice through programs initiated by companies and instilled in their employees such as ‘green’ procurement policies, just-in-time inventories, life-cycle assessment and others. It is basically the practice of promoting awareness on what processes can result to environmental problems and the processes and materials that can avoid environmental problems.
Monitoring and assessment technologies may involve the principles in the monitoring of the initiated avoidance. As an organization use avoidance technologies, monitoring and assessment technologies make sure that avoidance is continuously practiced. For example in order to monitor and assess if an industry uses non-toxic materials, their workers will undergo medical examination. There are also existing technology today that is use to assess whether a company has polluted the soil or water in the nearby locations.
Control technologies are used to reduce unavoidable harmful wastes coming out from factories. Example of control technology is the principle behind recycling and waste management that is used to control and minimize waste. Remediation and restoration technologies are used to repair the damages done to the environment.
Development of Regulation
Governments and other regulating agencies have long been aware of the importance of standards and policies regulating industries and other organizations in order to protect the environment. Standards are used to promote avoidance of environmental degradation. Standards serve as guidance on what processes and materials are allowed to be used, the processes on acquiring materials, the location, and the structure and facilities required that will not endanger the environment. Governments also implement punishments on the organizations and companies that will not abide by the standards. Most companies have also set up their own policies for reasons such as becoming concern with the environment, for improved image with customers, and due to the realization that some if not all of the environmental technologies can be able the company to reduce cost.
Long-term Environmental Cost-benefit
Environmental engineering are also driven by the awareness that nature have certain ecological capacity, that there will come a time that will be exceeded due to the increasing demands for it. This has been the challenge to technological development: how to continue developing and producing when nature no longer has the enough raw materials needed. According to Jansen (1994), the use of environmental technology in industry and society has to be changed so that overall production and consumption is within ecocapacity of the world. That is, industry and society should find ways to effectively use the natural resources through environmental protection, environmental technology and sustainable technology.
Environmental protection is addressing the short-term needs and emphasizes the “organization for environmental quality of processes and products” (Jansen, 1994). Environmental protection may involve reformation of current production systems that can help protect the environment, or regular environmental auditing. Environmental technology as discussed above involves the improvement and application of existing technologies for better utilization of the environmental capacity (Jansen, 1994). And sustainable technology (Jansen, 1994), is concern in finding new technological combinations and concepts by which environmental efficiency can be realized.
Having a certain degree of association with the environment, engineering came up with another discipline, the environmental engineering, focusing not on only on the design, development and creation of products and buildings or new technologies but with the creation of technology that will help achieve sustainable development.
1.2 Sustainable Development
It is of knowledge of every individual today that the needs of the modern society today can not be sustained indefinitely. Environment has a limited capacity to provide the many resources that human needs, thus there is a need for sustainable development.
Sustainable development is, as defined by the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED, 1997), the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The notion of this definition is that today’s people should develop certain means of conserving and preserving the environment in order for them to meet their present needs and for future people to meet their needs too. These can be done by developing principles, processes and tools that will protect the environment and will be used simultaneously with human activities.
Moreover, in more technical definitions, sustainable development, according to the Royal Academy of Engineering (2005) is the process of moving human activities to a pattern that can be sustained in perpetuity; it is an approach to environmental and developmental issues that seeks to reconcile human needs with the capacity of the planet to cope with the consequences of human activities. These definitions implicate that human should change the way they acquire needs from the environment, that is human must alter their activities in manner that can address environmental problems.
Sustainable development has three dimensions (RAE, 2005): ‘Techno-centric concerns’ which include techno-economic systems; represent deployment of human skills, particularly engineering skills; and the economic system in which theses skills are deployed; ‘Eco-centric concerns’ which represent the ability of the planet to sustain human providing material and energy resources and by accommodating emissions and wastes produced by human; and ‘Socio-centric concerns’ which represent human expectations and aspirations and the needs of human to a better quality life.
Human needs are made out of technology, and technology can not be deployed as though it has no implications on the environment or on the society. The engineers are the ones who usually deploy technology, designing and creating it according to human needs, making decisions on how to use materials, energy and water resources, and develop infrastructures according to the desired activities of human. To achieve sustainable development, engineering must be centered not only with providing new concepts but also be centered on the chain effects of technology on economics which is often define as the proper allocation of resources, and the effects on the society which expects that technology can improve the quality of life. Considering these three pillars can result to sustainable development.
Furthermore, an alternative to these three pillars is also considered. This alternative is called the “five capitals” (RAE, 2005) that determines the options available for future generations and includes: human, environmental, social, financial, and manufactured forms. Human capitals decide on how to utilize resources provided by the environment; society or the collective human decides on what to expect and on how to govern individuals; financial capitals decide on how further a development can go depending on its affordability; and manufactured capitals are the infrastructures, products and other physical assets that support improvement. Sustainable development is one that uses these capitals to increase the existing five form capitals. As one can perceived with its various definition, sustainable development is an approach to maintaining and sustaining the integrity of nature but at the same time meets the current needs of human to whom nature is intended to be utilized.
Common Sustainability Issues
As stated earlier, the increasing needs of human and the importance of sustaining the sources of these needs resulted to environmental engineering. It is noticeable that the aim to sustain these needs for continuous consumption is the concept of sustainable development itself. Therefore, the objective of environmental engineering is sustainable development and the underlying issues in sustainable development can be addressed through environmental engineering.
Moreover, sustainability issues are concerned with environmental issues and are addressed by the implementation of environmental engineering. The most common environmental issues are air, water, land and noise pollution due to technology, increasing population and industrial and economic development. Another issue is deforestation, soil contamination of toxic chemicals and wastes, health issues, use of live animals to test new products, use of harmful chemicals in manufacturing companies and many others.
These issues have direct or indirect relationship with engineering such as building and construction, product development and production, transportation, product design in electronics and electrical engineering, energy use and consumption and agriculture.
These issues and the ways on how to address these issues using environmental engineering are discussed one by one and in details with this research study. With the use of case studies and sample companies, the objectives of the study are obtained.
1.3 Statement of the Problem
Although sustainable development are overheard and overused terms, its meaning and significance are still not cleared to most people. While environmental engineering are just considered by many as another engineering discipline, its extent are not understood by everyone. There are few business literatures that discuss sustainable development as a strategy of the businesses but the process, principles and tools for sustainable development are not clearly understood. This study therefore attempted to answer the following queries:
1. How do industries address environmental problems?
2. What are the major practices of the industries that are used to address environmental issues?
3.Does addressing environmental concerns affect the operations of industries?
4.How do companies incorporated sustainable development with their businesses?
5. Are their practices enough to solve environmental issues?
6. What further improvements should be developed to achieve sustainable development?
1.4 Objectives of the Study
In general, this study aims to identify the significance of environmental engineering to sustainable development. The study covers a broad theme and multiple issues due to the broadness of both environmental engineering and sustainable development. The study will be beneficial in providing strategies on how to incorporate environmental concerns with technology particularly in producing the needs of human.
The study aims at the following objectives:
1. To describe the present situation of the environment, identify environmental problems and confirm the needs to protect the environment
2. To define sustainable development, its fundamental ideas and its importance in the protection and conservation of natural resources and the environment
3. To describe environmental engineering and identify its relationship with sustainable development
4. To determine the benefits that can be gained through environmental engineering by identifying the technologies that resulted from it.
5. To review regulations and policies governing sustainable development
1.5 Significance of Study
Implementation of sustainable development and environmental engineering entail considerations of several factors such as its applicability, its costs to the implementing organizations as well as the benefits from sustainable development. However, awareness and knowledge of them would be beneficial to various organizations such as the industry, the government, universities and the society. Discussing about the environment and its sustainability and the discoveries for its improvement and protection is very significant to life itself. Having the knowledge and awareness will result to being concern of the environment, can change behavior towards the utilization of the natural resources and can result to involvement in different projects and development concerning the environment.
The study will increase awareness of the needs to environmental engineering that is, the design, creation and use of technology while protecting the environment for future further utilization.
1.6 Overview of the Study
In order to achieve the objectives of the study, the research used earlier studies on sustainable development and environmental engineering and find relationships of each other. Most articles used are from engineering schools where much concern to the incorporation of sustainable development to engineering studies is much of an issue. Universities and engineering institutions now integrated environmental study on engineering disciplines to be able for future engineers to always base their work on the fundamental ideas of sustainable development. Articles
The research also studies on different businesses and determine if companies today are addressing sustainable development with the production of their products. Companies studied came from various industries such as construction and building industries, manufacturing industries, and service industries.
[1] Agenda 21. A blueprint for action for global sustainable development into the 21st century. Agenda 21: The United Nations Programme of Action from Rio, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 31-34 (1992).
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