In the article “Why the climate fight needs engineers”, Shah (2015) states that innovations from engineers will be crucial in the fight against climate change. In order to achieve this, Singapore has launched several new schemes to help nurture engineers so as to better equip them with the necessary skill-set in order to better combat sustainability challenges and climate change. The author also states that the only way to incorporate sustainability in our urban environment is through advancements in technology in the green energy and environment as well as the sustainable development sector. Some technologies mentioned include “eco-smart towns” with fuel cells and efficient systems to recycle and dispose of materials effectively. Kuttan, director and country manager of Clean Technology Center, further emphasizes that such tasks will not be possible without the expertise of professional engineers from the energy sector. She concluded that solving such challenges would require innovations from a vast field of professional engineers understanding how various technologies blend cohesively together to form a sustainable power system. I agree with the fact that engineers should be entrusted with the important role in solving the problem of climate change in the near future.
In our current urban environment, we are surrounded by technology and machines that have become such a big part of our lives that many would find it near impossible to live without such commodities. Removing equipment that is currently responsible for the majority of carbon emissions would be out of the question. However, with the expertise of engineers in the green technology sector, such problems with carbon emissions as well as inefficiency of equipment and appliances could be greatly reduced or even removed (Chua, 2015).
In addition, Chua (2015) states that cities in Asia are especially important in the fight against climate change as they are currently responsible for up to 75 per cent of the region’s carbon emissions and the statistics are expected to increase if nothing is done to mitigate such existing issues. In recognition of the substantial amount of carbon emission from the cities, engineers from consultancy firms use their analytical, technical as well as interpersonal skill to analyse problems and come up with methods to solve specific environmental problems in the industry. A good example would be engineers from AECOM, an integrated infrastructure firm. Engineers from the firm advises its clients on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from the building, while creating a comfortable and healthy living environment for tenants. With the influence of such engineers, there should be a significant decrease in carbon emissions in the future.
Lastly, to counter the production of carbon emissions, many engineers have developed various new technologies to produce energy while reducing our environmental footprint. New companies such as Pionovasion have started projects to commercialise convenient and affordable environmentally friendly technology such as the solar cloth, a bendable thin-film solar cell. A group of engineers have recently installed solar panels in a remote school located in the inaccessible part of the mountains. The solar panels are currently providing 90 per cent of the school’s electricity consumption which helps reduce carbon emission by 13.7 tonnes and saves the school US$2,180 on electricity bills annually. With solar technology being developed to provide clean energy conveniently anywhere there is sunlight, the need for energy from coal should be drastically reduced. Through such innovations in solar technology by engineers, the issue of carbon emission by the country is expected to improve tremendously.
In conclusion, there should be a great demand for engineers in the green technology sector in our future. I feel that Singapore took the necessary initiative to aid the recruitment and development of engineers in this very important sector. This should open opportunities in the engineering sector to further develop new ideas and solutions, which would result in a significant drop of carbon emissions thus making Singapore’s dream of being the first Smart Nation a reality in the near future.
Reference
Jean C. (2015 July 28). Engineers play crucial role in climate change. Retrieved from http://www.eco-business.com/news/engineering-plays-crucial-role-in-climate-change/
Jean C. (2015 September 29). Bringing the power of the sun to every home. Retrieved from http://www.eco-business.com/news/bringing-the-power-of-the-sun-to-every-home/
Michael L. (2015 May 13). Engineers have a role to play in minimizing climate change. Retrieved from http://blogs.aecom.com/engineers-have-a-role-to-play-in-minimizing-climate-change/
Valdehi S. (2015, June 8). Why climate fight needs engineers. Retrieved from http://www.eco-business.com/news/why-the-climate-fight-needs-engineers/
My Effective Communication Journey 