K2 sustainable apartments in Windsor, Victoria, Australia by Hansen Yuncken (2006) - courtesy of Wikipedia.org
In the midst of the current economic crisis, it can be easy to forget about longer term problems like global warming. It seems like the global conversation always tends to be shortsighted and only addresses one problem at a time. However, I do not want to wait until our economy is up and running again before I address our other problems. With a large and looming problem like global warming, I believe it is important to remain committed and to consistently work to solve the problem. In 2006-2007 I witnessed a great deal of useful debate and optimism about global warming, but no problem of this magnitude is solved with short fits of enthusiasm followed by long periods of inactivity.
With that in mind, here’s my two cents on what civil engineers can do to help fight global warming:
- Incorporate sustainability into your designs: Get to know LEED specifications. I’m betting you can incorporate some of the green building principles into your designs, saving your client money even if they’re not seeking full LEED certification.
- Promote the use of life-cycle costing: Are your clients aware that cheap materials, poor workmanship, and inefficient design might save them a little money in the short term but will end up costing significantly more over the life of the structure? Just by relaying a little knowledge, civil engineers have the power to vastly affect the outcome of the projects they work on. Champion the use of life-cycle costing so your clients can see the economic benefits of sustainable design by seeing how much money they’ll save in the long run.
- Be a responsible world citizen: Recycle, use less energy, and buy products from companies that respect the environment. Maybe one person can’t change the world by turning off a light switch, but your actions are noticed by others (i.e. your children). When you are seen making a small difference, your actions, ideas, and perspectives can have an incredible way of spreading.
