The word “sustainable” and its synonymous cousin, “green,” seem to appear everywhere lately. As I write this, the Group of Eight nations has just concluded its annual gathering during which, even in this difficult economy, climate change remained a prominent agenda item. The U.S. Congress has been debating legislation aimed at slowing global warming. Most large corporations have shown a commitment to environmental responsibility, and organizations of all types are placing increasing emphasis on green practices. Individuals are taking steps to conserve energy, reduce waste, and buy greener products.
These trends demonstrate that governments, corporations, and individuals are recognizing the need for sustainability and implementing the changes required to achieve it. The danger is that the various definitions of sustainability and the actions credited to the idea are so wide ranging that a more important action—to prioritize our efforts—may fail to be addressed.
Over two decades ago, the United Nations Commission on Environment and Development defined it as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Meeting needs in this sense is an economic activity that relies on natural resources now and in the future; sustainability simply requires a long-term perspective with a priority on meeting needs. On a macro scale, we know that the economy is embedded in the environment. A study recently published in Science magazine found that any economic benefits gained by deforestation in Brazil are short lived, as people’s well-being quickly reverts to a condition no better than it was before—the deforested land cannot sustain them. On a micro scale, many firms have found that green practices reduce cost, green products add revenue, and green systems reduce the volatility of the business cycle. For example, manufacturers are embracing remanufacturing as a complementary service that is robust to downturns while also reducing material and energy use.
Around the same time that the UN commission wrote its report, I was completing my doctoral dissertation on infinite horizon optimization, a formal way of setting up and solving problems with finite time horizons to find solutions that remain optimal no matter how long those time horizons are extended. What’s the connection? I find it in the dictionary definition of the root word “sustain.” The first three meanings are to give support to, to nourish, and to prolong. I took some ribbing for devoting so much time and energy to a very esoteric-sounding topic. My response, then and now, is this: What nation, corporation or individual wants to plan for its own demise? In the long run we are all dead, as John Maynard Keynes famously commented, yet we all do what we can to prolong our descendants’ nourishment and support. These days my research is less abstract, but I’m more mindful than ever that even short-term problems need long-term solutions. When the time horizon is extended, perceived conflicts between economy and environment tend to vanish.
From thought to action
What does sustainability mean for engineering and the College of Engineering at Iowa State University?
Under the premise that sustainability ties economy with environment, engineering’s vital role in achieving sustainability is twofold: to reduce the negative environmental impacts associated with engineered systems, processes, and products; and to reduce the material and energy consumption per unit of production of goods or services. Engineers of all disciplines are needed to develop new materials, energy conversion technologies, manufacturing processes, systems for delivering goods and services, and methods for reducing pollution. Engineers must also communicate with policy makers to help ensure that regulations account for technological constraints and that incentives achieve the intended outcomes.
In research, we must apply all our skill and creativity to solving problems of consequence. The college’s 2050 Challenge articulates a strategic focus on sustainability. Researchers in all disciplines are addressing this challenge through basic science and technology development for meeting human needs in the short and long term. Iowa State engineers are developing more effective ways to use renewable energy, including biorenewable fuels, wind and solar power, and fuel cells. Transportation engineers are finding ways to reduce emissions, use more sustainable fuels and technologies, and promote more efficient passenger and freight movement. Agricultural and environmental engineers are developing more sustainable systems for food production, water supply and quality, and water conservation in the built environment. Interdisciplinary teams are designing closed-loop supply chains to reuse materials and examining interactions between energy and transportation systems for resiliency and efficiency gains.
A long-term view and an awareness of the broad impacts of our work are essential to avoid unintended consequences of quick technological fixes. A systems perspective is necessary to recognize the interdisciplinary and interconnected nature of the challenge as well as its nontechnical aspects. In industrial engineering, we teach students to design, develop, implement, and improve integrated systems that include people, materials, information, equipment, and energy. We have the systems perspective, but we still need to cultivate the long view and the broad awareness of impacts.
In education, efforts to promote sustainability must recognize several realities. Our students are excited about improving the quality of life for this and succeeding generations. Employers hire them based on their disciplinary knowledge and skills. Most college alumni will spend their careers in businesses that operate primarily in the industrialized world with clear sustainability goals. Government policies related to sustainability are expected to increase in significance and reach. For accreditation, each undergraduate program must demonstrate that its students attain outcomes that specifically address sustainability constraints as well as the global, economic, environmental, and societal context of engineering solutions.
To prepare our students for career-long effectiveness and leadership, an appreciation of sustainability must permeate each curriculum. Currently, dozens of courses across all departments have some sustainability emphasis. Course work is complemented by internships and co-ops, including regular participation by Iowa State students in the Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ Pollution Prevention internship program. Student organizations such as Engineers for a Sustainable World, Team PrISUm (solar car), and the Water Quality Club also provide valuable experiences.
Faculty and student commitment to sustainability is strong, but there is room to improve the basic sustainability training of each student. We must imbue every student with a long-term perspective, the habit of considering broad impacts, and an understanding of how their own discipline can contribute to meeting human needs in the long run.