Milieu Encountered Enhanced Depravity: Work Method - Assignment Example

The Environment Name: Institution: Date Abstract The engineering profession has over the years changed to its current structure, functioning and approach. In this case, the professions role in environmental conservation and the development of sustainable designs, processes and equipment’s. The question remains if the engineers have a role in enhancing this and the actual steps that can be applied. This report is an evaluation of the strategies through which engineers can enhance environmental sensitivity and conservation. Moreover, the report recommends a framework through which the established strategies can be operationalized. Table of Contents Abstract 2 1.0 Introduction 4 2.0 Strategies 5 2.1 Cooperating Responsibly 5 2.2 Sensitivity 6 2.3 Inform on Implications 7 3.0 Recommendations 9 3.1 Present and Future Production Orientation 9 3.2 Sustainable Outcomes Production 10 4.0 Conclusion 11 References 13 1.0 Introduction "Ask yourself, what do I touch that is not engineered?" This was the comment of William Wulf, the former President of the National Academy of Engineering (Kader 2003). His observation was that through the application of science to the common purpose of living, not only have engineers made our quality of life possible, but their design construction and uses of engines and machines, are paving the way for further conveniences and wonders. Indeed, engineers, arguably more than any other profession, are a group that must be attuned to the probabilities and possibilities of the future. Theodore Von Karman (cited in Kader 2003) made a famous comparison in this regard stating while "scientists study the world as it is, engineers create the world that has never been." It is easy to become excited about the influence that engineers can have on the world through processes of invention and design. However, while we are at a time of our greatest sophistication, leading scholars in the fields of science and engineering, such as Buckeridge and Brumley (2006) recognize emerging catastrophe Insufficient environmental capital whether that is caused by or manifests as disruption to the carbon cycle, contamination or depletion of resources, anthropogenic disease, or otherwise is a concern for engineers on many levels (The University of California 2000; Wang et al 2012). A large part of engineering work involves the measurement, estimation, forecasting, and projection of forces in the environment. These include measures such as the flow of rivers, and the amount of vibration from a transport system may receive from an earthquake. Any change in the environment will change the accuracy of these measurements and therefore the effectiveness or efficiency of the engines and machines designed to use or manage these forces (Kader 2003). Moreover, the environment is also a concern for engineers on a commercial level. Engineers are often responsible for determining the viability of projects. The costs of design, construction, operations, repair, hiring and chartering and the anticipated revenue from operations are all dependent on aspects of the environment (Kader 2003, 2). Fortunately, in a similar manner to physicians, solicitors, accountants and other occupations involving a high level trust, engineers have definite legal, professional, and ethical duties, and are not left without guidance in these areas by professional regulatory bodies. With respect to the latter, Engineering Australia (2010) provides of Code of Ethics which broadly requires that engineers demonstrate integrity, practice competently, exercise leadership, and promote sustainability. The purpose of this report is to use the Engineering Australia framework to provide practical examples of what engineers can do in aid of the environment as well as to explain the role for an engineer. 2.0 Strategies 2.1 Cooperating Responsibly The Engineering Australia Framework (2010) states that engineers have a significant role to play in enhancing increased environmental conservation in the market. In this regard, they have an obligation of ensuring that they establish relationships with the stakeholders to establish their needs and preferences prior to developing systems and products. In this approach, engineers can adopt two approaches. On one hand, they have an obligation of ensuring increased cooperation in designing new products and processes designs. As such, the process of designing new products should be inclusive of all stakeholders in the society. Consequently, their development should not only be developed based on the customer needs but also in consideration with the implications of the process to the society and other third parties in the environment. In the development of corporation structures, engineers should seek to develop decision making frameworks that incorporate all the major stakeholders. In this approach, the parties can be grouped into group focus. The established focus groups enhance the development of diversity and broad participation in design development decision making process. As such, this allows for increase diversity in the decision making process. The focus groups can be used to evaluate the proposed designs. In this regard, the focus groups major on the implications of the proposed designs both at meeting the intended purpose, the unintended benefits as well as the unintended negative implications. Consequently, through increased responsible corporation with all the stakeholders, engineers develop systems appropriate for the processes as well as environmentally fit. On the other hand, engineers have a responsibility to establish the methodologies and approaches through which to enhance existing systems. The global market and environment factors are dynamically changing. As such, systems relevance and compatibility with the environment vary considerably overtime. As such, there is the need for engineers to develop continuous improvement systems on the already established product designs. Through such cooperation’s products and systems weaknesses are easily identified for improvement and effecting changes. 2.2 Sensitivity The Engineering Australia Framework (2010) recognizes eengineering as a science profession. In this case, the profession is guided and governed by the existence of scientific principles and models. The theories advocate for the development and establishment of uniform structures in their operations. As such, traditionally, the profession was based on the principles of uniformity and theory regulations. Consequently, the approach had minimal regard for the environment and specific nature issues. On one hand, this approach allowed for increased uniformity and science innovations in the market. As a result, there was registered increased engineering production and innovation as scientists and engineers across the globe based their theories and models on similar systems. However, the adoption of this approach in engineering had negative implications on the system (Kamiński, 2005). The developed products and design s success were based on the systems performance and outcomes on the intended purpose only. In this regard, engineering success was based on functionality success. Therefore, with changing world dynamics, it was apparent that although engineering designs met the intended functionality, they led to increased environmental implications. Thus, the engineering profession has in the recent past adopted a blend of both the scientific and arts approach. Consequently, the concept of sensitivity emerged. This is a new scientific concept that incorporates the consideration of societal implications by the proposed designs to establish their market fit and application. In this regard, the engineering profession adoption of this concept will increase environmental conservation oriented approaches in the market. 2.3 Inform on Implications The Engineering Australia Framework (2010) states that engineers have an obligation and can increase environmental conservation through creation of public awareness. In this regard, engineering products and services as well as services increases impacts in the global market. On one hand, all products in the market and the society at large have increased implications on the society both positive and negative. In this case, organizations have both intended and unintended implications. On one hand, the intended implications describe the organizations products desired outcomes. In this regard, the outcomes represent the existing problem or need that should be resolved in order to enhance increased quality of life. On the other hand, the unintended implications can be further classified as both positive and negative. The positive implications results to increased performance and systems quality besides the intended core benefit. In this case, the implications represent the overall effects of the specific systems or process improvements. On the contrary the negative implications represent the design and products developments impacts. Among the most negatively influences aspect by environmental changes is the environment. In this case, designs that increase productivity and efficiency lead to increase use of raw materials. Consequently, increase raw materials use lead to increased natural resources exploitation that culminates into environmental pollution. I order to enhance environmental conservation and reduce such implications; engineers have a role on integrity and transparency. In this case, they should offer accurate systems strength, weakness, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis with all the major weaknesses and the consequent threats enumerated. Through appropriate communication of proposed systems change outcomes, A Unesco (2010) research established that the engineers can enhance the development of proactive measures in the society through early identification of impending challenges. In this regard, such an approach in engineering propagates the development of preventive measures in environmental conservation rather than the establishment of reactive measures aimed at resolving the challenges. 3.0 Recommendations The above analysis of engineering roles in enhancing environmental conservation and preservation raises the question of how these proposed scientific approaches can be attained. All he discussed strategies form the basis for increased changes and efficiency in the engineering profession. Through these strategies, the profession is bound to expand and increase its influence in environmental conservation. Therefore, this report develops an action plan through which the above enumerated strategies can be achieved. The action plan, as proposed by Takata and Umeda (2007) represents the proposed approaches that will enhance engineering profession contribution in environmental conservation. 3.1 Present and Future Production Orientation It is imperative that production is hedged on both the present and future needs in the market. In this regard, efficient and quality production systems and approaches are not only geared towards the production and development of sufficient products and equipment’s in the short run only. Instead, the processes are geared towards the development and establishment of appropriate systems and structures in the long-run. In this case, the system allows for the establishment of strategic approaches in the decision making process as well as the development of appropriate designs. The engineering profession is at the core of developing the systems and processes through which production is made. In this case, the approach and orientation used determines the adopted processes and their current and future objectivity extents. On one hand, the engineering profession develops a system through which the developed designs establish an approach through which the current production systems promote the future systems. In this case, such approaches are based on the principles of sustainability. The global market is categorized with the presence of natural resources as raw materials and inputs in production processes. In this regard, increased production activities result to increased exploitation of these natural resources. Consequently, the system leads to increased natural resources depletion. As such, this poses future production threats through the emergence of lack of raw materials in the future risk. In this case, the engineers have the ability and potential to revert this scenario. This is through the adoption of appropriate production systems through increased research development, innovation and increased designing. In order to establish a balance between the current and future production approaches, it is imperative for engineers to develop systems that are raw material effective. This implies the development of systems that allow for the establishment of reduced raw material usage for increased outputs quantity and quality. Moreover, the engineers can develop systems through which, alternative production inputs are introduced. In this regard, the alternative inputs recommended should be based on the aspects of artificial inputs. Consequently, this would reduce the rate of environmental natural resources exploitation. As a result, such an approach would enhance the development of a future oriented production system. A system that considers future implications of current production systems, and one that enhances perpetuity of production processes. 3.2 Sustainable Outcomes Production In order to achieve a balance between the present and future orientations, Hesselbach and Herrmann (2011) argued that the engineers should adopt sustainable solutions. This incorporates the development of alternative solutions for organizational problems, rather than the traditional functionality criteria as earlier discussed. In this case, the engineering profession should establish a principles and guiding frameworks change. Such systems as the pure scientific approach to engineering and the adoption of functionality success criteria should be reviewed. Instead, the profession should increasingly adopt arts approach in developing sensitive designs. As such, it should adopt an approach of inclusive decision making. Further, the profession, in order to enhance and establish sustainable production systems, should develop a new design and engineering function success evaluation criteria. As such, it should change from its current system to the incorporation of both the intended and unintended implications on third parties. The use of these new criteria will increase the professions environmental consideration and consequently facilitate the development of designs focused and oriented at conserving the environment. 4.0 Conclusion In summary, the report establishes that the market dynamics have increased consideration issues in the engineering profession. In this case, the report reveals that through market changes such as increased environmental degradation, production systems and functions have adopted an increasingly conservative approach. In this regard, it establishes that unlike in the past when professions such as engineering, have changed theory production and management approaches. On one hand, the report reveals that traditionally, the profession was geared to resolving and achieving functionality functioning and success only. In this regard, the profession disregarded its significant contributions on the environmental functioning. As a result, the environment experienced increased degradation. However, through the acknowledgement of the profession’s contribution to environmental issues, the management approach changed. As a result, the profession has adopted strategies to mitigate the challenge. On one hand, the report identity’s the increased responsible corporations as the first viable alternative. In this case, the report establishes that through partnerships and collaborations between industries would enhance increased environmental conservation through the introduction of diversity in decision making in design development models. Moreover, the report identifies that the adoption of the sensitivity strategy would allow for increased environmental conservation. In addition, the report establishes that the adoption of transparency approaches in the profession would enhance increased proactive and preventive environmental policies in the society. Finally, the report recommends an action plan and framework through which the proposed strategies can be achieved. In this framework, the report recommends the adoption of a shift in design approach to one of creating a balance between the present and future production aspects. Moreover, the report recommends the development of sustainable engineering designs and products to allow for the achievement of a balance between the present and future production balance in engineering processes and activities. References Buckeridge, John and John Brumley. (2006). Ethics, engineering and the environment: Is Hawking correct… is it all too late? Proceedings of the 17th Annual Conference of the Australasian Association for Engineering Education. Auckland, December 10-13th, 2006. 15: 1-8. Engineering Australia. (2010). Our Code of Ethics. https://www.engineersaustralia.org.au//sites/default/files/shado/About%20Us/Overview/Governance/codeofethics2010.pdf Hesselbach, J., & Herrmann, C. (2011). Glocalized Solutions for Sustainability in Manufacturing: Proceedings of the 18th CIRP International Conference on Life Cycle Engineering, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany, May 2nd - 4th, 2011. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg. http://eprints.utm.my/598/1/A_saman_prof_eng.pdf Kader, Ab Saman. (2003). Professional engineer's roles and responsibility. Lecture notes on Profesional Engineering Practice, SZM 4802, 2003 Kamiński, M. M. (2005). Computational mechanics of composite materials: Sensitivity, randomness, and multiscale behaviour. London: Springer. Takata, S., & Umeda, Y. (2007). Advances in life cycle engineering for sustainable manufacturing businesses: Proceedings of the 14th CIRP Conference on Life Cycle Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan, June 11th-13th, 2007. London: Springer The University of California. (2000). The Carbon Cycle. http://dilu.bol.ucla.edu/home.html Unesco. (2010). Engineering: Issues, challenges and opportunities for development. Paris: UNESCO Publishing. Wang, J., Wang, K., Wang, J., Li, L. & Chen. K. (2012). Decomposition of CO2 to carbon and oxygen under mild conditions over a zinc-modified zeolite. Chemical Communications. 48, 2325 - 2327 Read More