Sustainable engineering: design to value Earth's resources
Photo: Sam, Jeff and Leigh
Scott Matthews is a Professor of Environmental Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon’s Green Design Institute. He’s on the vanguard of sustainable engineering, which is attempting to bring infrastructure up to code with the principles of sustainability.
Much of the infrastructure in the U.S. has to be updated or replaced within the next few years, and there’s a demand for new infrastructure systems in the developing world. With so much designing and building going on, Matthews says there is a huge opportunity for engineers to reduce infrastructure’s impact on the environment, and have a big effect on the way we live.
I always follow stories and articles about sustainable engineering with great interest and hope that developing countries would follow suit, and not be miles of years behind these ideas. Often I admire developing countries, however, because they are much more resourceful – and know how to reduce costs to make a quick profit. Perhaps we can also learn something from them?