possible to achieve a sustainable built environment, while addressing such challenges as natural
and man-made disasters, adaptation to climate change, and global water supply, is reinforcing
the civil engineer’s changing role from designer/constructor to policy leader and life-cycle plan-
ner, designer, constructor, operator, and maintainer (sustainer). Civil engineers are not perceived
to be significant contributors to sustainable world.”
On November 4, 2008, ASCE Board of Direction adopted sustainability as the 4
th
ASCE
priorities. The other three are: renewing the nation’s infrastructure, raising the bar on civil engi-
neering education, and addressing the role of the civil engineers in today’s changing professional
environment. Moreover, in the January 8, 2009 article of the ASCE News, entitled: “Board of
Direction Views Sustainability Strategy as Key Priority,” William Wallace — founder and presi-
dent of the Wallace Futures Group of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and the author of:
“Becoming Part of the Solution: The Engineer’s Guide to Sustainable Development,”
Washington, D.C.: American Council of Engineering Companies, 2005 — offers five issues that
must be understood if engineers are to assume new responsibilities in sustainability. These are:- The world’s current economic development is not sustainable — the world population
already uses approximately 20% more of the world’s resources than the planet can sustain.
(UN Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Synthesis Report, 2005.) - The effects of outpacing the earth’s carrying capacity have now reached crisis proportions —
spiking energy costs, extreme weather events causing huge losses, and prospect of rising sea
levels threatening coastal cities. Global population increase outstrips the capacity of insti-
tutions to address it. - An enormous amount of work will be required if the world is to shift to sustainable
development — a complete overhaul of the world’s processes, systems, and infrastructure
will be needed. - The engineering community should be leading the way toward sustainable development but
has not yet assumed that responsibility. Civil engineers have few incentives to change. Most
civil engineers deliver conventional engineering designs that meet building codes and protect
the status quo. - People outside the engineering community are capitalizing on new opportunity — accounting
firms and architects are examples cited by Wallace. The architects bring their practices into
conformity with the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System.
As mentioned previously, other organizations also have come to realize the importance
of sustainability in engineering education as well. For example, in January 2009, the Insti-
tute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) formed the Sustainability Ad Hoc Com-
mittee to map and coordinate sustainability-related issues across IEEE. The IEEE also studied
sustainability activities of other organizations to determine areas of collaboration, and took
an active role in creating a worldwide Earth-monitoring network to “take the pulse of the
planet.” The project, known as the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS),
involves collecting data from thousands sensors, gages, buoys, and weather stations across
the globe. The goal of GEOSS is to help foster sustainable development. The IEEE defines
sustainable development as: “development that meets the needs of the present without compro-
mising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” As evident from the approaches
taken and statements made by different engineering organizations, sustainability has to be a3.2 Sustainability in Design 55
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