STUDENT NAME: Samantha Kajol Seetaram

ID NUMBER: 55897

COURSE TITLE: Engineering Sustainability

COURSE CODE: IENG3003

ASSIGNMENT 4: Essay-The role of the engineer in ensuring that the principles of sustainable
development are followed in the field of design and manufacturing engineering.
Engineering has certainly developed as it originated in the year 1325 from the word “engine’er”
which was someone who literally operates an engine, to just simply making the manpower of
man lives easier where they can operate efficiently or not at all as there is automated systems
now. Of course, there were engineers before that time, but they were just referred to as other
names. However the development of mankind has affected the development of our environment
drastically over centuries, hence environmental as well as sustainable engineering was
introduced to the industry for sustainable development. When we think of sustainable
development in manufacturing a product, we must think of a system where the decisions that we
make ensure that every component of the system such as the environment which includes man,
animals (of the land and sea), plants (of the land and sea) the atmosphere and more, society
and wealth is capable of flourishing or coexisting without hindering the capacity of the other
component, whether it is in the present or the future.

If these factor principles are not taken into consideration in the design and manufacturing of
products just for us humans lives to be easier or more convenient, the impacts on the
environment will continue, such as resources being depleted due to population growth, which
leads to increase in solid wastes as more products are purchased and used. Then the
packaging from the products just goes to disposal, which goes into the waterways, causing
water pollution which destroys the aquatic life. Humans utilize products that contribute to air
pollution such as smoking, cars, and more, in return, causing acid rain which is responsible for
the decline of many forest ecosystems worldwide which causes habitat destruction and
extinction. Another major cause of habitat destruction and extinction is deforestation to use the
wood to make paper, buildings, furniture, and more luxurious items causing the animals to lose
their homes as well as extinction. Last but least, the depletion of the ozone layer due to
industrial chemical releases causes an increase in UV radiation leading to skin cancers, reduce
immunity to infections etc. There will be a Reduction in world’s oceanic plankton, which are
photosynthetic organisms that breaks down carbon dioxide will then lead to an increase of
carbon dioxide in the atmosphere contributing to global warming. It is funny that we would do
anything for the human race even if it is not a necessity and it may just be a luxury at the
expense of everything else around us, but what we failed to realize along those years is that
there will be a time when everything else around us is destroyed and we may not be able to
exist anymore.

Of course it is not too late, we can mitigate these problems or even reverse it, because we just
cannot stop making products, as we still want our lives to be easier and to fulfill our wants, we
just need to find a balance and this is where sustainability engineering plays its role. A
sustainability engineer in the manufacturing industry, take a lead role in designing and
developing sustainable and low-energy design projects in the built environment. The role
demands an understanding of engineering in relation to reuse, remanufacturing, recycling,
minimizing waste, the effects of carbon emissions and increase in occupant health and well
being.

With respect to the environment, if the company already has a product, but is not sustainable
the engineer need to start asking what is the problem of the product? Is it a legacy problem,
meaning this is how the product has always been so it hasn’t changed but is harming the
environment? ? Is it a material problem? Which can change using recyclable, reusable or
sustainable material. Is it a solvable problem? Where we can come up with a solution, of
course, it is the reason that he/she is getting paid. If the product is new, the engineer should
ask, how can this product, either be able to be reusable, remanufactured, recyclable and not
emit carbon emissions. There are other considerations now, such as Bio-integration, which is
basically, joining forces with nature to create new sustainable products that are harmless to the
environment as well as Bio- compatibility, which are choosing material that are compatible with
life in other words, using materials that does not slowly kill us.

There are many ways that a materialistic choice of manufacturing be selected. Firstly, there is a
method called Design for Environment (DFE) to minimize or eliminate environmental impacts or
a product over its life cycle, where it maintains or improves product quality and cost while
reducing environmental impacts. It also expands the life cycle of a product from being an open
to closed loop cycle. This can be done by using the cradle to cradle model and become
certified. Cradle to cradle is a Design For Envrionment method emphasizing renewable
resources and sustainable life cycles. It’s basically from going to an open loop manufacturing
process where you use the material to produce a product, distribute, use and then dispose of it
to closing the cycle by introducing recovery which was mentioned earlier by reuse,
remanufacture to make more or new product, post industrial recycling, where waste or scraps is
used to make new or more products, and instead of disposal to cause pollution, it is deposited,
the product being organic, with no toxins hence the material selection has to be bio-degrable
where it can decay naturally then, they can become new resources and renewable.
Last but not least a Life Cycle Assessment can be done, which quantifies environmental impact
over product life cycle can, for example, what are the energy impact, what are the carbon
footprint of this product? Etc.

The second factor principle entails the economic growth. Manufacturing drives productivity and
growth it is vital for technological improvement. First and foremost an engineer must be able to
tell if a product makes economic sense. The cost of the product cannot be too expensive but
also have to be able to make a sustainable profit to the company.The main role of an engineer
in a company is to be able to minimize the product costs. Three factors that should be
considered are component design, material selection as mentioned earlier and manufacturing
technique while using sustainable practices and its life cycle. This can be achieved by applying
principles of utilized materials and inputs, which are non-hazardous and recyclable, developing
and planning of production processes to reduce the consumption of energy, materials, and
water, using renewable energy that does not affect the natural environment, developing product
design to be reusable, re-manufacturable, or recyclable, expanding the design concepts of
using fewer resources and applying easy-to-repair techniques, using efficient transportation and
logistics systems. On top of that, consumers have the right to know what they are purchasing or
consuming. Some companies lie about their product to have a better reputation as well as to
make the consumer feel good about themselves which means more profit for the company.
Integrity should always be important.

The third factor principle has to do with society. A change from a consumer society to a
sustainable, conserver society must focus on the welfare of the planet and future generations
through balance rather than maximizing exploitation. The health of a consumer should always
be considered by a sustainability engineer when designing a product, for example, is it safe for
them to consume or use? Is it comfortable? Is it healthy? Etc. Then there is “green fashion,” we
all know people buy with their emotions; hence the product should be designed to be eye
catching and sustainable by using bio-integration. Finally, culture and social changes are
crucial, generations after generations there has been changes in culture, from the start of
cigarette smoking to “make women feel powerful,” now there are education and jobs for that. A
sustainability engineer can create a new culture and change our societal behavior for the
betterment of the earth, our home, by creating sustainable products and setting a new trend.

In conclusion, the role of an engineer when designing a product follows sustainable practices
while cutting costs and making peoples’ lives easier by implementing a sustainable lifestyle by
producing sustainable products. The earth is what we all have in common. It is our home. The
environment and the economy are really both two sides of a same coin. If we cannot sustain the
environment, we cannot sustain ourselves and together with us and sustainability engineers we
will be the super heroes that saves earth.
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