While Environmental Engineering is a specific discipline dealing with the cleaning of contamination caused by humans and the prevention of future for the sake of both the overall environment and the health and safety of the human population, Green Engineering more of a broad reaching framework used across all engineering and design disciplines. There is a lot of crossover in terms of the goals of both Green and Environmental Engineering, as both strive to minimize pollution and protect human health.
In general the goal of Green Engineering is not just to design systems to filter toxins or protect humans from disease and pollutants but to create things minimize these things while not losing economic viability or efficiency.
There are 9 basic tenants that are usually adhered to by most engineers who aim for a Green solution, proposed in 2003 at the “Green Engineering: Defining the Principles Conference” in Sandestin, Florida. While other groups like the American Chemical Society have expanded on them, these are the basic principles that most seem to adhere to:
- Engineer processes and products holistically, use systems analysis, and integrate environmental impact assessment tools.
- Conserve and improve natural ecosystems while protecting human health and well-being.
- Use life-cycle thinking in all engineering activities.
- Ensure that all material and energy inputs and outputs are as inherently safe and benign as possible.
- Minimize depletion of natural resources.
- Strive to prevent waste.
- Develop and apply engineering solutions, while being cognizant of local geography, aspirations, and cultures.
- Create engineering solutions beyond current or dominant technologies; improve, innovate, and invent (technologies) to achieve sustainability.
- Actively engage communities and stakeholders in development of engineering solutions.
Many different engineers and designers have tackled this framework in many different ways, from massive wind farms and tidal generators that harness the kinetic energy of the natural world to produce clean energy and alleviate the cost of limited resources like fossil fuels, to the millions of solar panels being utilized on people’s homes to supplement energy costs. From the simple act of painting a building’s roof white to reflect light and save on air conditioning costs, to creating low emission engines, or making goods out of recycled or biodegradable materials. As long as the goal is to preserve human health or reduce environmental impact without losing monetary value, it all falls under the umbrella of Green Engineering.
There are far too many solutions to cover and, in truth not all of them end up being viable, for every creative endeavor that succeeds there are probably a hundred more that end up on the pile of unfulfilled dreams, but the goal for each is the same, and the dream they all follow is one of prosperity and a healthy environment.