ENVIX 0 N M E N T

0 0 0 Ma engineering sustainable future

for

How can engiiiccrs change thcir education, training and policy-making processes to help shape a sustainable environtncntal futurc?

by Sarah E Clarke, Neil Morris and Matthew Rhodes

nginccrs arc rcsponsihlc for t l ic tiii-

sustainable ciiviroiiiiiciital dcgrxlation E that w e arc currently cxpcricnciiig. At first reading, this scciiis a harsh statci i ic i i t . Yet, i i rcvicw o l the nightly n e w s suggests otherwise. 1 low many o l t l ic cnvironmcntal disasters, social disruptions and economic tlisloc,itioiis of recent tiiiics li:ivc direct o r indirect tccliiio- logical origins and, by dcfault, engineering input? I f the engineer's role is t o act :is the interface bct\vccn society and scicniiiic tlcvcl- opmcnts, and to ensure that iicw technology is applied in t i sustaiiiaLIc aotl posi t ive w,iy, tlicii it is our rcspoiisihility to change OLIV approiicli to correct tlicsc mistaltcs, and to ~ L I L tlic world back 0 1 1 a viahlc path-namely tliat of sustainable clcvclopiiicnt.

Sustainable tlcvclopiiicnt' dcm;uitls tliat \vc seck *ays of living, worl&g and bciiig tliat

fulfilliiig ancl cconomic,illy sccurc lives, with- m t destroying t h e c i i v i r ~ ) ~ i ~ i ~ e n t and witliou1 cntlangcring the [ L I ~ L I I T welfare oi the planet. 11 requires funclauicnt,il structui-al and bchaviouml traiisfoi-mation in all aspects 01

liic to C I I S L I ~ C cq~iitiihle solutions to tlic world's m o s t pressing problcins. SListainal>lc dcvclopiiicnt, thcrclorc, goes hcyonti siiiiplc cnvironincntal protect ion and iiiiprovcinciit. From A tcchiiological pcrspcctivc, it requires that \vc explore the values underpinning o ~ i r technologies ;iiitl technological tlccision- iixibing proccsscs, Imth \vitliin cngiiiccring and within society ;is a whole, LO dctcrminc what role tcclinology has in our i ~ i t ~ i r e , not

. .

cllahlc all pc"plcs of the world to lead hcalthy,

How ean we change QUY

education, training and

policy-mPaking processes to help shape a s U s t a i n a b I e

f u t u re -?

simply as tlic 's'iviotir' or 'villiii ' of oiir problcins, hut a s a hcnciicial, integral part of O L I ~ lives.

What is the role of t l ic cnginccr i i i this tl.ansCoi-mational process? 1 low can we change out- education, traiiiiiig and policy-making - processes to help shape a sustaiiiablc future?

' I ' l i i s article sets O L I ~ :in agenda for c1i;iiigc tliat addresses thcsc questions. It forlns thc hasis oC the contrihution engineers should i i d c to a suslaitial)lc future. 'I'lie article is a synthesis of tlic idcns, views ant1 viiltics o l II cross-section of tlic iiiei1iI)ership o l tlic [l i l .) fi.oin 1itliiopia, h u s t i d i a , Portugal, South Africa, Nigeria, 1 lonp , T<ong and Australia, as we l l as the USA a n t l UIC. 'I'licsc contiibutors liavc participated, antl co i i t i i i i i c to do so, in .i consultat ion process tliat began in Spring 2000 whcn the Llill invited i i ic i i ibci-s globally to sLiliiiiit thcir views about how cngiiiccrs and ciiginccring could contri- bute to sustain;ihlc dcvc lop incnt in tlic 2 I st cciitury. ' I ' l i i s i i ivoI\d direct subinission oi papers, dialogue ovci- the I ntcriict, an opc i i - format 'soapbox' convention in 1 .oiidoii in &larch 2000 ;incl participation in the j u n c 2000 LN I:.S confcrciicc i i i Stockhuliii. 'I'lic consulta- tion process will coiitinuc tlirougli tlic \vorli of the new IlrE I'roFcssional Network 'I'nginccring for a sustainable luturc' a i d bccomc a practical programme o i actions towards sust,iinal)ility

'l'lic agciida set ou t licrc is tlcsigncd to havc I)roatl applicatioii, from engineers involved in nc\v product tlcvclopmcut, througb policy advisers lor govcmiicntaI 'thinIetanIts'

275

ENVIRONMENT

Fig. 1 Five steps, leading to an agenda for change

an agenda for change

J=:=J make the use of energy more equitable

restructure the relationships between the professions, society and the environment

address the alienation of engineering and science from the political process

~~ -

provide better technical education for all

take a more holistic and systems based approach

on sciciicc and technology dcvclopincnt, t o cnginecring man.igct-s rcsponsiblc for inulti- party, inirastructurc pi-ojccts across the globe. It is not a prcscriptivc list of actions. T<.itlicr, its goal is to suggcst broad arcas i n which individual cnginccrs, tcains oj' cngin professional cnginccring hodics in collalo- ration with other iiicinbci-s of society may intervene at a variety of Icvcls, for cxaiiiplc pcrsoiial, socictal, corporate and govcrnniciital, and contributc to sustainable dcvclopmcnt through the dcvclopiucnt of locally approprintc pi-ojccts niid initiatives.

L he article is organised around the five tllCIllCS, or steps, that cmcrgctl from the discussions (1:ig. 1). T;iltcii togctlicr, t l i c s ~ c p s lomi an agenda Tor change. I~,nginccrs bavc an iniportant contribution to niakc at each step. Wliilc it is possiblc to skip ;i step in a inad dash LO tlic top of the stairs, the steps to tlic agenda for change should I)c takcti as an integrated whole, cncli relying on tlic following and preceding step for its effectiveness in bringing about the transformatioii to a sustainablc SLI t urc.

. .

I <

Step 1: 'Ihkc a morc holistic a i d systems- based approach

Su stai iiahl c dcvcl opincii t d ciiianL1 s a h( )lis ti c approach to tlic analysis of the problcms tlic world faces arid to tlic dcvclopnicnt dsolutions to these urgent co~iccriis. 'I'liis pcrspcctivc goes bcyond tlic systcuis thinl~iiig inctliods tradi- tioilally used in t l ic dcvclopmcnt of technology and adoptcd by most cnginccring disciplin includcs the social, ethical, economic, poli and cultural systems that technology is cnthcddcd i n aiid shaped by and it suggcsts a iicccl t o redefine tlic houiidarics 01 die problems that cnginccrs address. It i s no longer sufficicnt simply to consider ii technical systcni without wider and dccpcr coiisidcr.itioii of the valucs ;uid views of a diversity of stalrcl~oldcrs (cnvir~~nmcntalists, politicians, the public, intcrcsl groups, the media) and the interaction of tcchiiology with tlicsc different clcniciits in society. 'l'lius, for example, tlic bcUs niovcs from tlic dcsigii of cars to the fortiiLilatioii of integrated transport systctns that inay o r may not I-cly on the car as tlicir cciitl.al tcclinology.

Sustainability also demands that tlie time

276 liN<;IN I71:K I N G MANAGIIMENT JOU IIN AI, 1) liC I:M BIiII 2000

I:NVIRONMENT

IioriLoii 0 1 tcchnological tlccisioii-iiialiiiig is

tions yet to bc horn. ‘l’licrc arc many cxaiiiplcs of ‘qtiiiial’ tccliiiical soliitions, derived froin a iiarrow, shot-t-term view, which have givcii rise to tinantici~xitcd intc1.;1ctions and ~ L I L -

conics, both socially ancl cnvironmciitally.. I:or cxainplc, liaclicl Carson’s work “I ’ l ic silctit spring’ in 1962 first alcrtcd tlic world tu the impact oC D1)T on tlic ciivirotiiiiciit aiitl

ultiiiiatcly Iiuinan life. I lowcvcr, t l ic tccliiio- logical picture is rarely clcar-c~it. l h c ban on the use o l DUI: a bio-accumulntiPc, toxic ancl carcinogenic suhstancc, as a pcsticidc brought aboiit an increase iii deaths due to inalaria. As this (simpliiicd) example dctnoiistratcs, tlic application of technology liccotncs ri choice hctwccn oiic set of social, ccoiioiiiic and cnvironmcntal risks and aiiotlicr, It emphasises the iiiilx~rtaiicc of a t r~ i ly holistic pcrspcctivc and the iced to cast the a i d y t i c a l net witlc. It also suggests that tlicrc tii;iy be no single ‘best’ solution, cxccpt in isolated o r special cases.

I n advocating a systems a l q i m x l i tlicrc is, howcvci; a danger tliat cnginccring and s c i c d i c mct l iods will b c inapiil.opriatcly . ipp l icd to an csscnti,illy sock-political, cLtItur.iI ancl Gcliavioural problctn, witliout a lull appi-cciation of the intcl.tlcl)cndcnt, chaotic, ~iiiprcdictiiblc and dynamic Lxitiirc ot‘ thc systcni as a whole. The belief that \vc will always b e al)lc to cngiticcr ourselves o i i t of ‘i

pi-oGlcm is ciidcinic, aiid perhaps rcflccts a iiau.iral litiinati optimism at i d coiifiilcncc. Such confitlcncc his brotiglit u s lar-wlictl icr it is tiow an ohstaclc to or ally of sus ta inab le progress is open to quest ion.

Step 2: Provide bcttcr technical etlucation for all

What use i s a l io l is t ic nicthotl if, as many argue, people arc not taking ini‘onnccl clccisiniis hasctl oil ‘sound’ science? A vivid illusti-atioii oi this is the coiitrovcrsy surrounding gciictically modificd orpiinisins (<;MOs). [s thc npl ”mt ly ‘hysterical' reaction to GMOs tlic procluct oC;iii ill-.iii loriiicd, scicntifically~illitc~~itc dcbatc that enables a vociferous minority to stccr cvcnts based on poor science, o r is it a symptoni of a grcatci- malaise, namely tlic itlahility of tlic scientific and cnginccriiig consti tuencies IO

understand and value alternative \vodd- views and to commiitiicatc with diircrciii. comiiiuiiitics?2

It can he coiicliidcd that tlicrc is a iiccd t o cd~icatc both constitucncics: cngiiicci-s/

strctcilcc{ tO ilccoLlllt Tor tilc IIccc~s scientists atid noii-cngiiiccrs/ii~)ii~scic~itists, 1’uGlic disquiet with tcchnologics, such as nuclc;ir powcr and GMOs, aiicl subscqucot

scientific coiiimunity, iirc rclatctl to difrwing pcrccptioiis of r i sk and tlic dcgrcc t o which pcoplc tmst tlic scientific community.’ An important step to sustainnbility, tlicrcrorc, is to

iitid altci-native viewpoints, to c i iab lc an iiilornictl a i d coi istr i ict ivc dcbatc to take place, to carti t r i i s t bc twccn communiti public iindcrstinidiiig of risk. Awirciicss of Science (PAWS) initiative in the U I< is nile vcliiclc l o r this two-way education prnccss.

While tlici-c i s a nccd to cducatc the p~iblic about technology, it must also b e ;icltnow- lctlgcd that cngiiicct-s rcqiiirc a Cull under- statidiiig ol ctivirontiicntal :iiicI suskiinablc c lcvc lop i i ic i i t concerns. ‘I’liis incluclcs the political, social, cultLil.al and psycliological influciiccs rliat shape tccliiwlogy aiid tlic ethical a n d tiiorcil d i l c i i i i i i as that cngiiiccrs Iacc, a s \vel1 as the tcchnicnl and scientific aspects of sustaiixihility issues. A rccctit study d UT< universities Liiidct-tdmi by the Ihgincci-ing ioi- a Sustaiiiablc I h i r e nctworli of tlic LEI!, su~;gcs~s that f c w oHct. this type o f training to their studcnts. It is ;in inihalancc that iiccds to I)c rcctificcl i l t l ic Linivcrsitics arc to s~ipply cngiilccrs wlio have d i e s l t i l l s to ciigagc mcanitigCtilly in the smtaitiahlc clcvcloptiiciit clclxitc. ’I’lic education oi’ practising engineers and their lctiowlctlgc and appreciation oi cnvironmciitcil and siistaiilahility tiiattcrs is something that rciixiitis iiiicxplorccl,

‘I’lic l d i of attciition to siisL:iiii;iIiIc dcvclop- incnt issues in ctluc;itiou tilay have a dccpcr root: po1itic;il m c l business iicccls tend t o shape the education systcin. I t i order to change tlic cotit ciit 01’ cnginccring ctlLication, tlicrcforc, policy and hisiness clccisioii-iiiakcrs iiiiist he encouraged to d i r e c t their political agciicla and I)tisiucss lraincworlis. l ’ l i c inllucncc 0 1 t l ic ciigiiiccring pid’cssioii h e stroiig, but very indir tn;iiiagcil i i iorc consciously and rcspotisibly in liiic with ail explicit set of v;ilucs. ‘L’his lcatls to the tliird step to siistaiilahility.

Step 3: Atltlrcss tlic alienation oE engineering ancl science f rom the political

iiicrcdulous rcsp(mcs LO t h s c t‘cat-s L y chc

cducatc ~’coplc al>nLlt scicllcc and tcchtlology

‘e practical iiiicl philosophical prob.- Icms behind tlic rcalignmcnt 0 1 cnginccriiq

277

ENVIRONMENT

education dcscribcd above. Thcsc problcins include:

Thc pace of technical cliaiigc nialtcs cvcn the mast cducatcd cngiucer out of date very

A small group of technical pcoplc in positions of corporate and knowlcdgc-based power set the education agcntla leaving tlic rest with a

lhginccrs arc vicwcd as provitlcrs of tcclinical solutions rathcr than contributors to a widcr stratcgic agcnda. Broadly cducatcd cnginccrs arc absorbcd o ~ i t of positions of nicauingful (tcclinical) prufcs- sional activity iiito nianagcri;il roles wlicrc the impact of rhcir cducation is diluted. Technical activitics arc vicwcd as tlic ‘out- conic’ of political dcbatc, ratlicr than p i - t of an integrated proccss involving tlic dcvclop-

society and the political process.’

quicltly.

fa21 acconzpli.

mcnl of tcchnology, t h o dcvcloplllcnt of

Undcrpinning these oI)staclcs to cliangc in tlic education system is a rcluctancc to view tcclinology as having an interest and contrihu- tion that should bc reprcscntcd in the political process. The sLicccssfu1 cngagcnicnt of all parties, ant1 the recognition of their powcr and influence, is key to convcrgc on viable solutions for a sustainable future.

Otic cxplanation for t h e alienation of ciigiiiccrs from the political proccss is tlic tciidcncy to group all cngincers under the hcadiiig ‘techics’ or ‘nerds’. Yct the roles of cnginccrs arc inany and diverse, from purely technical, iiidividual or team-based activitics to tlic role of facilitator in a multiparty collalora- tion. The abovc analysis, however, suggcsts a new rolc for certain types of engineer, that of intcrmediary bctwccn socicty and technology. This new ‘profcssion’ would be a recognised ‘power’ or body of influcncc, similar to judges who incdiate betwccn socicty and tlic ‘law’, ministers of religion who mediate bctwccn society aiid ‘God‘, or politicians, who balancc priorities bctwecii different incmbcrs of society. Thc desirability of a ncw typc of relationship bctwccn cnginccrs and society linlts dircctly to Step 4.

Step 4: Rcstructure the relationships between the professions, society and the environment

Sustaitiahlc dcvelopmciit potcntially requires fundaincntal changcs in all aspccts of human

278

Rather than designing a washing

machine, the foeus: moves

to systems for providing

dean clothes

life. Given tcclinology’s ccntral rolc in today’s society, this implies that the relationships that shape d i n o l o g y and the iiitcrfaccs bctwccii technology and tlic cnvironmcnt, ccoiioniy and society iiccd to hc re-cxaniincd, rc-ucgotiatcd ancl, potcntially, rcdcfincd.6 I’hc question is how?

It s e c “ clcar that it is no longer appropriate LO adopt a closed-door approach to the dcvclopnicnt of technology whcrc tcclino- logical solutions spring iiito being out of a niystcrious black box. Rathcr, sustainablc dcvclopincnt implics a need t o iiiovc away from an isolated design process to oiic that is opcn and intcgratcs a wide set o l pcoplc into the decision-mnliing process. It also suggests that tlic focus of design must hc on the dcvclopnicnt of q d i t y 01 life rather

designing a washing inacliiiic, tlic focus iiiovcs to systems for providing clean clotlics that arc appropriate to a particular localc. ‘This entails a restructuring of the relationships within and bctwccn industries, busincsscs ant1 tlic constinicr.

Engineers Iiavc always done this to a dcgrcc by developing solutions to prcvailing societal concerns, such as clean-ail. technology after tlic industrial revolution. I-Iowcvci; sustainablc dcvclopincnt demands that cnginccrs arc part of tlie proccss of defining what is and is not sustainable, as well as helping to shape the solution. ‘l’lic licy issue, therefore, is not tlic technical outcoinc but wlio manages the process and how quality of life is dcfincd and agrccd on, taltitig into account tlic potcatial of different technologies. Historically, govern- iiiciits liavc played a central rolc in the regulation of technology dcvclopnicnt. Today, with the advent of international technologies, such as the Intcrnct, this is less nccessary as tcclinology designers lcarii to apply valuc judgments to tlicir work. For cxamplc, tlie World-Wide Web Consortium, fouiided by Xi11 Burners-Lcc, exists to regulate thc introduction of new technical statidards for use on the web. l’his organisation (see littp:// www.com/) applies cthical criteria to regulate its mcmbcrsliip and to control and moderate their activitics.

Thc typc of opcn atid iticlusivc process implied by sustainable dcvelopment requires that engineers dcvclop a diverse network of rclatiotisliips with pcoplc that are traditionally thought of as ‘outsiders’ in the technology dcvclopment process, c.g. eiiviroiinicntal acti-

Lhall protlucts. For cxalllplc, rather tll‘lll

1 NGlNl I KING MANAC1:MhNT JOURNAL UECXMRTR 2000

ENVIRONMLNT

vists, ctliicists, theologians, ecologists, social activists, government agciicics a n c l coticcriicd mcmhcrs o i thc public. It also suggests a iiccd to develop iicw skills for coiirmunicating with pcoplc \vho spcak different (non-tcclinicnl) ‘languagcs’ and to dcvclop a new hotly of linowlcdgc about, for cxamplc, sustainability coIlccrIls (Stcp 2).

.An open approach also implies a williiigiicss to share tcclinology across traditional orgiirisa- tional a n d industrial boundaries aiid to view tccliliology as non-proprietary. Competitive advantage is tlicii dcrivcd froiii a firm’s capability to apply ri particular tccliuology inorc cffcctivcly than other coiiipaiiics rather tliaii by tlic tcclinology itself. ‘rlris in turn dcmantls that cnginccrs arc fully iiicludccl in the stratcgic decision-making proccsscs of the iiriii. Uoth thcsc rcquircmcnts present a clircct cliallcngc to vcstcd interests iiisidc and outside the firm crcated by the ~ ~ i r r ~ t i t , less-ope11 dccisioir-malting proccsscs. Many of these interests would rather that cnginccrs remain inside their ‘boxcs’.

This iicw, open and collaborative role prcsciits a cousidcrd>lc c1i;illcngc to the cnginccring proCcssion. Although well accustoincd to Cortning tcmpor;iry, multi- disciplinary teams to cxccutc specific pi.ojccts, tlic iilajority o i engineers liavc iiot liccn traincd for tlic rolc that sustaiiiability requires. Sonic inay bc unwilling to take it 011. I Iowcvci-, ciiginccrs iiiust lcarii the ltnowlcdgc oi’ sustaiilability and tlic sltills set it iicccssitatcs in ordcr to contribute to the implcmcnt,itioii of sustainable dcvclopincnt.

Stcp 5: Make thc use of eiicrgy inore cquitablc

Iii debating sustainable dcvclopiiicnt thcrc i s a danger that wc forget practical realities in the inidst of pl~ilosophical discussion. One- third of humanity remains lockcd into tlcpciitlciicc on traditioilal (aniiiiatc) energy use. This has prevailed for millcnuia. 1;uirda- mcntally, it iiicatis they have no way of gcncratiiig any kind of s~ i rp l~ i s over sulxistcncc needs and hciicc improving their. ccoiioiiiic situation (or, iiidccd, of engaging cilcctivcly in glohal dcbatcs). l~roiii this pcrspcctivc global society lias only just passcd the point whcrc the majority of humanity lias cincrgcd froin thc dark agcs.

Iltigiiiceriug for a sustaiiiablc future must rccognisc not only thc iiccd to inctliatc a i d manage the progress oi dcvclopcd countries but

EN C,INI.:lXINC MAN h ( ~ l ~ , M I ~ , N ’ l ’ J O U l ~ N A I I

Global society has only just passed the

geint where the

majority has emerged from the dark ages

also the 1rccd to accclcratc and SLlpporL thc dcvclopmcni clcti iaiids that ciicrgy incquitics arc addrcsscd in a way coiisistciit with sListaiilablc d l h i s might iiicaii essential ciicrgy innovations at a basic Icvcl, driven by local nccds. For cxdiiiplc, how iiiight clcphant dung he used as a l l energy sourcc!

Many pcoplc arc already working in th i s arca. 1-lowcvcr, tlicrc arc also m i s s i v e human rcsourccs in the dcvclopccl world, the rctircd, graduate st~idciits, the unciiiploycd and uudci.cmploycd, tliat conltl be more cfrcctivcly utilised to provide design support at a dislaiicc. Such scliciiics must, of COLI~SC, bc clioscii witli caution. While rctlundant skills in the

in Miiopia or 13aiigladcslr, care must h e taltcii not to propcl tlcvclopin~, nations along an unsustaiid>lc path. 1ii adclition, technical ;issisLancc such as this iiiust iulfil the iiccds or the recipient d i c r tIi:ui iorcc-fit Liiisuitablc tccliuology to a community. 111 tbis inaiiiicr, locally appropriate, technical solutions drive tlcvclopiiicnt rather than glolxilly coiivcnicnt technologies. In maiiy ways, sustainablc dcvcl- optiiciit provides a colicrent g1ob;il framework ior t l ic iiitcrinctliatc tcclinology philosophy

thc rt l ral poor gl~bally. ‘l’liis

dcvclopcd world Illay he cxlrclllcly valuablc

tl“ has bccn pro1notctl for ncarly hall a cclltury.’

At a p c t i c a l Icvcl, doing ‘good works’ c m tlic ground has historically hccn the clriphasis

aiJ agcncics. Iiicrcasingly inodcrii tccli- nology can olfcr altcriiativc iiiodcs of worlting (assuining a reliable so~ircc of clcctricity). I:or tlic pricc of a few iiitcrcoiitinciital flights, h t c rnc t l i n l t s coultl be cstablislicd between ltcy sites in ISi~ropc, the Americas, Asia and Africa to design atid dcvclop prxctical t kick-start tlic dcvclopiiiciit proc

A word of caution is in ordcr. Ofmi , we r c g d thc definition ol tlcvclopiiiciit as whcrc thc West i s today ancl focus OUT attcntioii on how to tl-aiisioriii developing comitrics into that ‘iclcal’. ‘This is globalisation at it? worst, iiot only hccausc it ignorcs the cultural issues, but also bccausc it is iioc yet entirely clcar which of the ‘dcvclopcd’ or ‘dcvclopiirg’ iiiodcls is actually the iiiost d c v c l o p ~ d . ~ ’l’lic licy issue, thcrcforc, i s to fiiitl a viable altcriiativc inodcl of dcvclopmcnt. This rcmains a cliallcngc to all scctors of socicty and one to which the ciiginccr 11lLlSt rcspon~l.

An agenda for changc Wlierc do wc go Irom hcrc? We have a

277

ENVIRONMENT

choice. We can Iiick around the bottotii stcp and tiiikcr at thc cdgcs of the change t l i a ~ is required i n engineering to bring ;ibotit sustainable dcvclopmcnt. Or, we can ciigagc i n a proccss that i i iovcs LIS stcp Gp stcp tip thc stairs to transform technological tlccision-maltiiig, the design process, tlic nature of‘ cnginccring cducatioii and the relationships bctwccii cngi- nccring atid society, taking prcictical action every stcp of tlic way, starting with ciicrgy Llsagc.

This proccss will ~indo~ib tcd ly lead to a iicw rolc for engineers as mediators bctwccii society and tcchtiology. I t tilay also givc risc t o I1cv’ profcssional groL1ps and m\vorlts. ‘rhc EE’s ‘llnginccring for a sustainablc futurc’ l’rofcssional Nctworli will providc a loruiii for moving this agenda f o r w d and to address the specific issues:

I low should tlic relationship bctwccn cngi- nccring nntl socicty be managed? What arc tlic proper and rcspoiisiblc houncia- rics lo r the cngiiiccring profession (including appropriate values and cthics)! Wliar arc thc charxtcristics, cthics arid valucs oT thc professional iiitcrmcdiary bctwccn technology and socicty, and is this pcrson ‘an engineer’ at all? W l ~ t pr‘ictical steps can wc take now LO

address ciicrgy inequities and ini’lucncc thc

more sustainablc path? dcvcloplncnt oc t l l C world a s ;1 wholc Ollt0 a

Spccific ideas include:

h programme targctcd specifically at cngi- iiccrs huiltling on the M;u.ch 2000 1I.R coiivciitioii, oClcring ;I m g c oi linltcd ‘soapbox’-type cvciits locally, nationally and internationall y. A tccliiiical assistaiicc prograiiiiiic liiiking retired cngiiiccrs with students to work on projccts in developing iiatioos. h prograinmc to educate both cnginccrs and cducators in their sustaiiiabilitp rolcs a n d responsibilities.

Actions spc:ili louder than words. I’urstiit of practical action, initiating a proccss of ongoing Icariiiiig, h a s the potential to lead to tlic clcarcst ancl fastest aiiswcr ti) thc higgcr issucs. And, in tlic spirit of tlic proccss lxhind this article, w e encourage your- coiiitiiciits and proposals. l’lcasc scnd thcm lip e-mail t o iiciliiit&cc.org.

Acknowlcclgmcn t Thc authors would liltc to thank tlic IEE Tor

i t s financial support to attcnd the INES confcrcncc and LllC mcn1hcrs of thc I lr1r who cnt1iusi;istically contrihutcd to thc coiisultatioii proccss. Without thcir input this ai-tick would not l iavc hccn possililc. ’I’lic Eli ;is ahody is not rcspunsiblc for tlic opinions cxprcssccd by the ;iuthors. Rcspoiisibility f i x any crrors arid omissions lics with tlic authors.

A version [if t l i i s article w a s presciilcd ,it the INliS (Intcmation,il Nct\v(irk 01 I~,iigiticcrs and Scientists lor glohal rcsp~iiisihility) coi i lcrct icc ‘(:hnllcngcs for sciciicc and cngiiiccring in t l i c 21st century’, Stockholin,j uiic 2000

2x0