If there was one Engineering Challenge you would like to solve during the 21st century, what would it be?
For me it would probably be to make engineering sustainable, ie to close the loop between inputs and outputs that machines use and create.
The National Academy of Engineering has put together a list of what they consider to be Grand Challenges for Engineers. Of the 14 listed, the one I chose as top was "Provide access to clean water", as this is, to me, a building block before we can focus on energy. We need to meet the primary needs of the poor before we can focus on such things as Carbon Sequestration or Economical Solar Energy.
Or, we do them all together - a multi-disciplinarian approach! Now THAT's really Sustainable Development!
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As a follow-up to this, you may wish to join the live webcast for the UK Engineering institutions view on this topic.... see attached email:
From: Rachel Croshaw [mailto:r_croshaw@imeche.org]
Sent: 28 March 2008 14:34
To: events@imechelist.org.uk
Subject: [IMechE] The Great Environment Briefing, 9th April, The Town Hall, Reading (also available as a live webcast)
Institutions join forces for Environmental discussion
The IMechE, IChemE, IET and ICE are combining in Thames Valley to host the
Great Environmental Briefing. This meeting will be open to members of all
these institutions and will be an opportunity to collectively discuss the
greatest engineering challenge of the next 40 years.
The key point of the meeting will be sustainability and how we as engineers
can place environmental requirements at the heart of our designs. There will
be four main topics within the meeting; energy, water, waste and air quality.
The keynote speaker will be Professor Roland Clift from Surrey University and
the meeting will be chaired by Professor Sir Brian Hoskins from Reading
University and Imperial College, London
The event will start with refreshments at 6pm on the evening of the 9th
April, the lecture commences at 7pm at Reading Town Hall. Thanks to the
contributions made by all the involved institutions there will be no charge
for this event. Anyone wishing to register for this event should follow the
link below:
www.iethampshirenorth.org.uk/eventmanagement/apply/GEnvD/
To register for the live webcast go to:
www.iethampshirenorth.org.uk/eventmanagement/apply/GEnvB/
For further information contact: Frank Mugford e: frank.mugford@tncltd.co.uk
or Stuart Booth e: regsec@thamesweyregion.freeserve.co.uk
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