Abstract
Overcoming Limitations of Ecology and Engineering in Addressing Society’s ChallengesBy providing an integrated, systems-approach to problem-solving that incorporates ecological principles in engineering design, ecological engineering addresses, many of the limitations of Ecology and Engineering needed to work out how people and nature can beneficially coexist on planet Earth. Despite its origins in the 1950s, ecological engineering remains a niche discipline, while at the same time, there has never been a greater need to combine the rigour of engineering and science with the systems-approach of ecology for pro-active management of Earth’s biodiversity and environmental life-support systems. Broad consensus on the scope and defining elements of ecological engineering and development of a globally consistent ecological engineering curriculum are key pillars to mainstream recognition of the discipline and practice of ecological engineering.The Importance of Ecological Engineering in SocietyIn this paper, the importance of ecological engineering education is discussed in relation to the perceived need of our society to address global challenges of sustainable development. The perceived needs of industry, practitioners, educators and students for skills in ecological engineering are also discussed.The Importance and Need for Ecological Engineering EducationThe need for integrative, interdisciplinary education is discussed in relation to the scope of ecology, engineering and the unique role of ecological engineering.Scope for a Universally Recognised Curriculum in Ecological EngineeringThe scope for a universally recognised curriculum in ecological engineering is presented. The curriculum recognises a set of overarching principles and concepts that unite multiple application areas of ecological engineering practice. The integrative, systems-based approach of ecological engineering distinguishes it from the trend toward narrow specialisation in education. It is argued that the systems approach to conceptualising problems of design incorporating ecological principles is a central tenant of ecological engineering practice.Challenges to Wider Adoption of Ecological Engineering and Opportunities to Increase AdoptionChallenges and structural barriers to wider adoption of ecological engineering principles, embedded in our society’s reliance on technological solutions to environmental problems, are discussed along with opportunities to increase adoption of ecological engineering practice. It is suggested that unifying the numerous specialist activity areas and applications of ecological engineering under an umbrella encompassing a set of core principles, approaches, tools and way of thinking is required to distinguish ecological engineering from other engineering disciplines and scale up implementation of the discipline. It is concluded that these challenges can only be realised if ecological engineering moves beyond application by a relatively small band of enthusiastic practitioners, learning by doing, to the education of future cohorts of students who will become tomorrow’s engineers, project managers, procurement officers and decision makers, applying principles informed by a growing body of theory and knowledge generated by an active research community, a need whose time has come, if we are to deploy all tools at our disposal toward addressing the grand challenge of creating a sustainable future.
Highlights
IntroductionWorking out how people and nature can beneficially coexist on planet Earth is the grandest of all society’s challenges
The Need for Ecological EngineeringWorking out how people and nature can beneficially coexist on planet Earth is the grandest of all society’s challenges
It is concluded that these challenges can only be realised if ecological engineering moves beyond application by a relatively small band of enthusiastic practitioners, learning by doing, to the education of future cohorts of students who will become tomorrow’s engineers, project managers, procurement officers and decision makers, applying principles informed by a growing body of theory and knowledge generated by an active research community, a need whose time has come, if we are to deploy all tools at our disposal toward addressing the grand challenge of creating a sustainable future
Summary
Working out how people and nature can beneficially coexist on planet Earth is the grandest of all society’s challenges. Ecological engineering as a distinct discipline only has value if it can contribute to society’s need to address the global challenge of sustainable development and can demonstrate practical applications in addressing issues not fully satisfied (or created by) conventional engineering or technological solutions This includes applications where conventional engineering or technological solutions minimise impact but do not create environmental benefit, given the cumulative effect of many small impacts still amounts to degradation of the environment. By taking a holistic approach to water cycle and landscape management, this ecological engineering approach to management of coal seam gas water has created economic and environmental value from what was previously considered a waste-water resource, with lower capital and operating expense (CAPEX and OPEX) than the alternative of desalination [30] It has avoided generation of a concentrated waste brine stream produced by reverse osmosis— the secondary effect or shell game of the ‘grey engineering’ reverse osmosis solution [9]. In addition to sequestration of approximately 15,400t/year of CO2e, the approach avoids emissions of 19,000 t CO2e/year associated with the energy requirements of reverse osmosis, again, a small but symbolic contribution against the emissions from gas combustion
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