Sustainable engineering is the process of designing or operating systems such that they use energy and resources sustainability and do not compromise the natural environment and ability of future generations to meet their needs. In this present situation of crisis, the concept of sustainable engineering is a very important area to be thought and implemented as much as possible
The common areas which are focused for improvement are such as:
- Water supply
- Sanitation
- Waste management
- Food production
- Housing and shelter
- Industrial processing
- Cleaning up polluted sites
- Planning projects to reduce environmental and social impacts
- Restoring natural environments and ecosystems ,etc
These were just a few incentives listed. To explain in brief, Sustainable engineering is an innovation to existing technologies or developing new ones aimed at clever utilization of earth’s resources keeping in mind the requirement of both present and future.
Sustainable engineering attempts at reducing wastes, raw materials management, prevention of pollution, enhancements of products, etc. It includes all possible ways to improve processes, products ,etc to make them more efficient from environment front of view and they are sustainable in nature. For example, architects consider a sense of space in which the building will be built. The designs must consider both short and long term effects. There are many products which were initially made for good. But later on it becomes harmful. It is easy to criticize a product like this but it is challenging for an inventor or creator to predict the possible outcomes. Seemingly small effects observed first may get amplified in future with time. Sustainable development requires complete assessment of such possibilities and thus ensure the availability to deal with the negative effects well.
The idea of sustainable engineering brings more ideas with it, such as educating people about this whole idea, providing information and technology to identify and deal with issue related to sustainability of presently used technologies. Nowadays the courses such as environmental chemistry aim at educating about mining processes, pollutant, etc. It aims at developing ideas and technologies to deal with those pollutants, etc indirectly. Knowing the science behind all those things, hope is from the students for developing innovative inventions aimed at dealing with the problems.
Ecological engineering strives to mimic the natural ecosystem for the functioning of natural ecosystems and provide living conditions that are suitable for some endangered species of plant or animal. For making dry land areas suitable for cultivation, organic matter is encouraged over usage of chemical fertilizers as manures.
In the present situation of environmental crisis felt at different intensities in different places, sustainable engineering is hope for better future. Scientists are doing their best to develop technologies by gathering information wherever sustainability can be developed. Efforts can be turned into practice when those are made within the reach of common people in terms of knowledge and also the improvised technologies. Environment related subject must be felt important by every single person and therefore eco friendly ways of life must be adopted by all people.
