Engineers' role in combating climate change

MANAGING FOR SOCIETY
By Evelio G. Echavez
Engineers’ role in
combating climate change


Being an academician, I was happy to have been invited to speak on one of my areas of interest, climate change, during the First Engineering Summit that was held at the SMX Convention (Mall of Asia Complex) early this year. The said summit, which was attended by 1000 participants, was organized by the Philippine Technological Council, the umbrella organization of the 12 engineering associations recognized by the Professional Regulatory Commission.

The occurrence of almost daily rains at the peak of summer in the Philippines has caught a lot of people flat-footed. The cycles of agricultural crops (e.g., water melon and tobacco) and the construction of infrastructure and houses that are timed during the summer months have all been adversely affected. And incredible as it seems, Emong, a tropical typhoon hit the country only last week during what is supposed to be the driest period of the year in the country. The damage caused by Katrina, a very powerful hurricane that hit New Orleans some years ago, haunted the administration of former US President George Bush up to the end of his second term. The frequent floods in mainland Asia and the droughts that continue to bedevil African countries are some stark reminders that climate change is real and is already causing problems to our world today.

Engineers can play a very important role in combating climate change because many of them are involved in the design and construction of buildings, offices, factories and other facilities; industrial plant operations; extraction and utilization of fossil fuels and minerals; power generation and distribution; selection and design of equipment and processes to be used by industry; and many other activities that are based on science and technology. The aim is to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases (such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide). Engineers, many of whom are holding managerial or executive positions, can greatly influence the extent of reducing the amount of greenhouse gases emission by selecting energy-efficient equipment and processes; upgrading old plants and equipment; and/or modifying processes so that they become more energy-efficient; and designing and constructing plants, equipment and facilities in such a way that they are energy-efficient.

They can also make sure that the following programs and/or systems are in place in their organizations: a functioning environmental management system, an effective energy conservation program, a benchmarking program to adopt best practices related to the reduction of energy/ power use , and the inclusion of improvement targets in the annual planning for reducing energy/ power use. The engineers can also recommend to management the use of alternative power/energy when it becomes available, the installation of alternative power capacity that do not generate greenhouse gases (like wind and solar power), and the avoidance of activities that would entail the use of more power/energy such as company outing to far-flung places that would require the employees to travel great distances and involve the use of a high amount of power. Moreover, the engineers can recommend a massive tree-planting activity and for the organization to spearhead in informing and training employees and people in the community on how they can help in abating climate change.

The climate change crisis has come to a head that it is highly necessary that we examine and reevaluate how we do things to contribute to the abatement, if not elimination, of harmful activities that degrade the environment.

The author is a Doctor of Business Administration student of the De La Salle University’s Ramon V. Del Rosario Sr. Graduate School of Business. He is Dean of the College of Business Administration of Baliuag University at Baliuag, Bulacan. He welcomes comments at egechavez@yahoo.com.