Environmental Engineering: a Paradigm Shift

There is no doubt that the global environmental predicament we are in calls for a paradigm shift in our stewardship of this planet. All too often, I lament the lack of collaboration, vision, and caring in the workforce, which are roadblocks to meaningful solutions. But it could well be that I am stuck in my own myth, and the world is changing around me. This week, I was inspired by two wonderful students, part of my own extended family, who fit a very different profile of 21st century workers.

While my generation had to learn and adopt an awareness of the environment and cause/ consequences of human actions within greater ecosystems, this generation of students grew up with this knowledge as fact. Both of these students are pursuing degree of environmental engineering, a growing fields, which was very much a non-sequitur in my day. Engineers were the numbers people, who built things, fixed things, or computed things. They dealt in specifics. Environmental studies were the domain of biologists, the earthy people, who looked at the big picture. There was no common language, and overlap was fraught with contention, since engineering activities were often disruptive to the environment. Even computers were problematic, given the vast amounts of resources used in the making of microchips.

Fortunately, there has been a paradigm shift to the recognition that engineering knowledge is a tool which can be harnessed to contribute to the solutions in the environment. So my niece will be leveraging her ability to create order and understand patterns through computing skills to help address issues of climate change, and energy modeling. The young man is honing his already keen sense of observation and analytical thinking to provide an insight into the problems and solutions of the human interface with the natural environment. Both seem to have a greater mental flexibility which allows them to see the big picture, as well as the ability to stay focused on specific tasks. They have the capability to become solution seeking engineers, breaking away from old formulaic approaches. These were the very characteristics which Engineer Ono sought for Toyota, to help with the process of continuous improvement.

But beyond the skills, this generation seems to have a much greater awareness of the limitations of resources, a heightened recognition of the impact of our consumer society, and a social awareness of responsibility to others. These young adults are the ones who are driving the launch of co-ops, who are downsizing to smaller houses, and who are calculating their carbon footprints. Since they grew up with technology, they are more realistic about the role it plays in finding solutions. They are just as likely to be the ones raising chickens, getting back to basic thermodynamics in designing energy efficiency, and tinkering with electric car motors.

Perhaps I am just fortunate to be surrounded by so many wonderful young adults, but it makes me want to stick around for the next 50 years to see what these kids come up with.