8 ENGINEERING AND SUSTAINABILITY


Writing assignment plans A


1 Introduction: concerns re. unsustainable development; aims of assignment


2 Define sustainable dev. (incl. social and environmental factors as well as economic factors)


3 Give examples: energy use (e.g., power, transport, heating, lighting, manufacturing)


4 Give examples: waste and materials (e.g., recycling, more efficient technologies)


5 Conclusion: need better practices for engineering projects, incl. all aspects of social and environmental impact


Writing assignment extracts 1


There are many promising renewable energy technologies available as alternatives to current options. These include wind turbines, solar photovoltaic (PV) cells, hydro-electric power, wood-fuelled boilers, biogas production plants and tidal and wave power systems. However, there are still a number of challenges to face. The first is to accelerate the development of some of these technologies, particularly solar PV, in order to reduce their cost. The second is the question of scaling: to meet high demands, sufficient supplies of renewable energy are necessary. The third challenge is the issue of storage – for example, storing solar electricity generated during the day so that it can be used at night. All three challenges need to be addressed if we wish to move to a sustainable future.


2


Despite the vocal minority of climate sceptics, it is widely accepted that the current model of economic development is creating climate change, in particular through fossil fuel emissions. The prime cause of fossil fuel emissions is energy production and use – heating, electricity and transport. In addition, the reliance on fossil fuels cannot continue in the long term since they are finite resources, so a replacement must be found. This assignment will investigate how energy is currently produced and explain why these technologies are unsustainable. It will also explain what needs to be done for a sustainable future.


Writing assignment question


Imagine that, having completed your training as an engineer, you have joined an Information Technology and Communications consultancy as a graduate. The consultancy is part of a much larger multidisciplinary engineering consultancy, employing many thousands of people. How might the concepts of sustainable development affect the field of engineering where you will be employed? What social, ethical and environmental issues might you encounter in the field of information and communications technologies?


67


B


1 Introduction: sustainable methods of energy production + use – different in several imp. ways from current unsustainable methods. Give essay aims.


2 Two main aspects – energy production and energy use


3 Explain aspects of energy sources – fossil fuels (e.g., coal, oil, gas) vs. renewable and nuclear; contrast different sources (e.g., for cost, scale, impact on environ.)


4 Explain aspects of energy use – heating, lighting, transport, power; discuss room for efficiency improvements in each aspect (sustainable v. unsustainable)


5 Conclusion: sustainable energy has promising future – but significant challenges to overcome (e.g., cost, scaling + energy storage)


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