Research Guides: Design for "X": Environmental effects

Statement of purpose

The environment in engineering and design

In addtion to the technical literature, as an engineer you will be responsibile for many areas and have to consider the effects of your actions on the environment, the economy, safety, sustaninabilty, general social welfare, political and public policy, and of course ethics.

TED Talks

Kevin Surace on chaning construction materials to reduce environmental impact.

Resource links

Environmental Risk Analysis and Risk Management
Risk analysis is the systematic evaluation of hazards and their possible effects. Views on the potential uses of risk analysis differ. Although, most experts and policy-makers agree that risk analysis is a valuable tool to inform decision makers, they disagree about the extent to which risk estimates are biased and should be allowed to influence public policies to protect health and the environment.
EPA Green Engineering
This site provides information on EPA's green engineering program, and is aimed primarily at researchers, academics, and industry.
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Green engineering is the design, commercialization, and use of processes and products, which are feasible and economical while minimizing 1) generation of pollution at the source and 2) risk to human health and the environment. Green engineering embraces the concept that decisions to protect human health and the environment can have the greatest impact and cost effectiveness when applied early to the design and development phase of a process or product.
Hydropower Mayhem on the Mekong
One million people depend on the seasonal filling and emptying of Cambodia's Tonlé Sap Lake. But newly built dams on the upper Mekong and its tributaries are expected to modulate the river's flow. A large area of permanent inundation will swallow thousands of hectares of floodplain, disrupting the ecosystem and possibly devastating the fishery.
Missouri Coalition for the Environment
The Missouri Coalition for the Environment works to protect and restore the environment through education, public engagement, and legal action. The Coalition began its work in 1969 as St. Louis’s first independent citizens’ group created to address a broad range of environmental policy issues.
Natural Resources Defense Council
NRDC is the nation's most effective environmental action group, combining the grassroots power of 1.3 million members and online activists with the courtroom clout and expertise of more than 350 lawyers, scientists and other professionals.
Respect for nature : a theory of environmental ethics
Link to the book: Respect for nature : a theory of environmental ethics
The great deluge : Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast
Link to the book: The great deluge : Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops on Environmental Justice
In examining environmental questions, the concept of the "common good" is central in promoting the dignity, unity, and equality of all people. Achieving the common good requires us to recognize that we exist "with and for" others and that we act in such a way that respects and protects the fundamental rights of all humans. The common good also requires a concern for not only the people of today but for future generations as well.

Problem statement

This guide will provide you the tools necessary to complete your project -- the tabs above will link you to library and internet sources.