ENG93000 Reflective Journal: Sustainable Engineering

Desklib provides past papers and solved assignments for students. This report explores sustainable engineering practices.

SOUTHERN CROSS UNIVERSITY
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Unit Name: Engineering Management for a Sustainable
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Unit Code: ENG93000-2018-3
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Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
Workshop 1......................................................................................................................................3
Workshop 2......................................................................................................................................6
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................13
References......................................................................................................................................14
List of Figures
Figure 1: Solar Panels at rooftops....................................................................................................3
Figure 2: Services by ecosystem......................................................................................................7
Figure 3: Advantages of a Tree.......................................................................................................8
Figure 4; Liveable cities..................................................................................................................9
Figure 5: Attributes for asset management....................................................................................10
Figure 6: Environmental conditions..............................................................................................11
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Introduction
Learning of the workshop 1 and workshop 2 is discussed through this reflective journal. The
reflective writing is done for different engineering management technique that are built for
sustainable future.
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Workshop 1
1. Electricity generation and usage- Present and Future
I have chosen this topic because an excessive amount of usage of electricity will definitely create
problems for the future generation. As electricity generation plants are far away situated from the
livelihood areas and are near the sources like coal mines, natural gas, water reservoirs which are
the inputs for electricity generation at the present time. As the fuels in earth’s crust is in a limited
amount so depending on only these fuels for electricity generation is not feasible. So solar panels
and windmills have to be installed in the concerned areas. As the fuels are in limited amount and
non-renewable, so major dependence of humans on these fuels should be limited. I recognized
that wastage of electricity had crossed its limits by the present time. So, there should be some
principles which have to be followed for conserving it.
Figure 1: Solar Panels at rooftops
The supply chain of electricity comprises of networks of towers and wires either underground or
overground so to supply the electricity from the generating plants to our society so to get
continuous supply chain. But according to Atems and Hotaling (2018, p. 114), transmission and
distribution loss creates a greater problem in economic growth. For this continuous, affordable,
quality supply and reliability, the standards of the transmission process of supplying the
electricity should be maintained. But that doesn’t mean that the human has rights to waste it.
For the future era, there should be some improvement in generation and usage practices of
electricity. As there will be negative effects of high consumption of electricity, so usage should
be in the proper amount. For a generation of electricity, more and more windmills on concerned
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areas, solar panels on the rooftops of our homes and hydropower generators being installed by
the engineers so to save the electricity for future use.
2. Kitchen appliances are environmentally sustainable or not
Environmental development is the major key to sustainable development. That’s why I have
chosen the topic of kitchen appliances that whether they are harming the environment or not. As
going green is no longer a trend. The kitchen and bathroom appliances impact the environment
seriously. Although these appliances consume most of the electricity supply which comes to our
homes, so according to Shin, Kang and Lee (2018, p. 1400) by changing the standards of using
these appliances, we can get a quite healthy environment, as well as electricity, is also
maintained. I have realized that the impact on the environment by these appliances can be
reduced by less energy consumption and also by design and manufacturing processes of these
appliances. There are some instructions which should be maintained while operating the kitchen
appliances:
 Turn off the appliance when not in use. This will save electricity for future use.
 The maintenance of these appliances should be timely approached. For example, poor
maintenance of refrigerators causes more chlorofluorocarbons which are the cause of the
ozone layer in our earth’s environment.
 Use of natural biogas should be implemented by us for stoves instead of electric stoves.
 We should prefer energy efficient cooking techniques by these appliances in the kitchen.
 When the appliance is outdated, then proper disposal methods should be implemented so that
it will not harm the environment anymore (Anonymous, 2003).
3. Electric Cars- Elimination of pollution
According to Feige (2017, p. 20), electric cars are the replacement of the earlier heat engines or
battery hybrid vehicles. As fuels are in a limited amount, that’s why the trend of electric cars
arises for a sustainable future. Everyone should encourage the development of electric cars. As
the traditional heat engines intake petrol and diesel which are non-renewable fuels and also harm
the environment by producing a huge amount of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. These
hazardous gases are the main reasons for the greenhouse effect which affects the environment
very badly. I have recognized that usage of electric cars should be highly appreciable because no
poisonous gas will be an outlet from these vehicles. Also, DC supply given to the cars are
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generated from many natural sources like sun or hydropower plants and can be stored as DC in
batteries. So electric cars should be highly recommended for eco-friendly functioning
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Workshop 2
1. Maintaining Ecosystem for Sustainable future
Ecosystem Services: Ecosystem is a biological community in which different organism whether
living or non-living interact with each other and also depends on their physical environment. As
the ecosystem is providing a number of services which are essential for life form existence,
health and prosperity. These services have been grouped into four categories.
 The first one is provisioning services which include food, water, fuel, biochemical, natural
medicines etc. But instead of respecting the ecosystem for giving us these services, humans
are wasting these resources by disposing wastes from mining factories into seas. We are
using petroleum in limitless amount likewise using private vehicles instead of public
transport which will eventually create a shortage of fuels in the ecosystem.
 The second category services are supporting services like photosynthesis, soil formation,
nutrient cycling, and water cycling. Deforestation is the major concerned area for destroying
the ecosystem as trees help in photosynthesis and soil binding.
 The third category is regulating services that include the air quality, climate, water, erosion,
and many more regulations. But by deforestation, disposal of wastes, and many other
unhealthy activities, human beings are destroying these regulatory services of the ecosystem
also.
 The last one is cultural services which benefit all for non-physical assets. These services are
connected to human behaviour, religious values, inspiration, social relations and many more.
By destroying the diversity and harming the ecosystem, these services had lost away from
mankind.
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Figure 2: Services by ecosystem
I have felt that in the past recent years of growth, engineering crossed its limits. Every person
wants to live in urban areas because of the quality of lifestyle, health facilities and many more.
So, deforestation was at greater extent for setting up urban cities for more and more people.
Destroying the ecosystem for getting quality of life is the wrong ethic showed by people and the
engineers who had implemented these conditions. They had considered only the problem of
people in the rural areas and never focused on what they are doing is also harming the
ecosystem. They have to consider the whole system so that a balance between humans and the
ecosystem is maintained. For a sustainable future, the engineers should not only focus on
technical issues but also on environmental, economic and social issues as well. If a long-term
solution is there for any technical kind or any other kind of problem, then the world will step into
a sustainable future.
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Figure 3: Site visit in SCU accommodation
As, humans are performing very wrong ethics and practices which cause air pollution and results
in the greenhouse effect, global warming, uncertain climatic change, ozone depletion and many
more. These effects of climatic change not only harm the environment but human systems also
got impacted. According to Gupta (208), the ecosystem services like the production of food and
other services all get destroyed due to these uncertain climatic changes
For a sustainable future, some principles should be maintained to get stepped into it. These can
be:
 Maintain the rights of humanity as well as other organisms and nature as well to exist.
 Realization of interdependence in an ecosystem should be reviewed.
 Waste materials should not be thrown in rivers, seas and other places which are destroying
the services we are getting from the ecosystem.
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 Natural energy and renewable energy like from sun, biofuel or hydropower be used instead
of using non-renewable energy like from fuels, petroleum etc.
 Accept the results after practising wrong ethics for the ecosystem.
According to Heilmayr (2014, p. 105), afforestation is the best solution to many problems that
humans are facing in current day to day life. As a tree comprises of many functions like it
absorbs air pollution, provide shade, improve the quality of water, provide fruits and food,
beautify the environment and surroundings, provide oxygen and fresh air, cool the city, reduce
soil erosion, supports wildlife so to maintain ecosystem and many more.
Figure 4: Advantages of a Tree
2. Smart and Liveable cities
I have realized that it is important for every well-being to know that concept behind Smart and
Liveable cities for a sustainable future. However, everyone has their different perceptions about
smart cities. Some say smart city focuses on infrastructure. Some say it focuses on the quality of
health and education. Smart city can also be known as an intelligent or sustainable city.
According to Finger and Razaghi (2017, p. 9), a smart city comprises of smart government,
healthy and wealthy people, smart living, smart environment and much more. But in contrast, the
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smart city should be converted into livable cities in which people must learn the ethics of
humanity and environment to make their life better not only for themselves but also for other
creatures of the ecosystem. There must be a limited flow of traffic, usage of energy sources that
are non-renewable, knowledge and education about each and everything whether any technical
information or any soft skills. All these practices must be performed to transform an intelligent
or smart city into the liveable city for humans and other creatures as well. According to
Ramaswami, Russell, Culligan and Kumar (2016, p. 940), the engineers have to improve the
thinking, planning, and technology in a right way so that the cities and environment fulfil all the
demands of current time and also fruitful for better future.
Figure 5; Liveable cities
3. Whole of life asset management
According to Kiritsis (2013, p. 24), Life asset management can be defined as the practices of
managing the valuable assets which contribute to goal of sustainable future which is useful for
maintaining the life cycle of humans and other life forms in the ecosystem. Asset management
by an organization are the practices performed by them to realize the actual value of the asset for
better growth and sustained future. It can transform the objectives of the organization into plans,
activities and deployment of their decisions. Hence, a whole of life asset management principles
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is comprised of design, analysis, operations, maintenance and disposal. For practising the asset
management, the implementation of practices for improving the vision, developing various
strategies, realizing the responsibilities towards the organization, analyzing the value of asset and
the performance measures of that asset.
Figure 6: Attributes for asset management
4. Monbiot article
Figure 7: Environmental conditions
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