How Engineers Have Failed the Society (Essay Sample)

How Engineers Have Failed the Society [Name of the Author] [Institution] [Date] How Engineers Have Failed the Society Engineers provide a bridge between technology and the society, and as a result, they play a leading role in the process of planning, designing, and creating products that conserve energy, and which are environmentally friendly. In this role, it is necessary for engineers to actively participate and involve multidisciplinary professionals such as sociologists, economists and ecologists (Wold, Hunter & Powers, 2009). Although governments worldwide have adopted code of ethics that exhort engineers to act as role models in conserving the environment, research indicates that engineers have not been proactive in this role (Moavenzadeh, 2004). This paper intends to discuss how engineers have failed the society by designing products that have high energy consumption, and which are not environmentally friendly with reference to the automobile, construction, and the energy production industry. According to Miller (2011), for the last few decades, the automobile industry has been contributing to the increase in global warming by releasing significant amounts of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. The combustion process in automobiles emits carbon dioxide, which many climate scientists cite as one of the major greenhouse gases responsible for global warming (Miller, 2011). Additionally, the United States Environmental Protection Agency has reported that gasoline-powered automobiles produced about 1,511 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2012, which represents 29% of the carbon dioxide released to the atmosphere in the country (The United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2016). This revelation indicates that engineers in the automobile industry have not been proactive in ensuring all vehicles are environmentally friendly. A study conducted by Spence & Mulligan (2005) shows that the construction industry has been contributing significantly to environmental degradation and the emission of greenhouse gases. For instance, the production of construction materials such as iron-sheets, cement, and steel, emits toxic gases, which not only cause air pollution, but also contribute to global warming. Moreover, an analysis by Moavenzadeh (2004) has shown that discarded building materials make up a significant portion of the debris that has been filling up useful land, making it unproductive. The reason behind the devastating trend in the construction industry is that compliance with the set environmental regulations in various countries increases costs. Consequently, most of the practices in the industry are not environmentally friendly solely because many engineers aim at maximizing profits, but not the delivery of quality services (Moavenzadeh, 2004). In addition, research indicates that energy production in various countries has adversely impacted the global climate. According to Wold, Hunter & Powers (2009), the production of electricity in countries such as the United States is among the main contributors of the hostile climatic conditions experienced in the country. The combustion of coal while generating electricity releases carbon dioxide, which has been proven to be the main cause of the unexpected and adverse climate changes. Despite this revelation, engineers still recommend generation of electricity using coal (Wold, Hunter & Powers, 2009). Miller (2011) has shown that coal produces more carbon dioxide than natural gas and petroleum oil. Consequently, if engineers design more effective energy production methods that are environmentally friendly, it would be possible to reduce environmental degradation in an efficient way (Miller, 2011). In conclusion, the above discussion has explored how engineers have failed the society by designing products that have high energy consumption and which are not environmentally friendly, with reference to the automobile industry, the constructio...