A Workshop on Earth Systems Engineering: A Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering Approach

University Of Colorado At Boulder, Boulder CO

Investigators

Abstract

With a current population of 6 billion, there is growing recognition that humans are altering the Earth's natural systems at all scales from local to global at an unprecedented rate in the human history. In general, most human-made projects involve the interactions of non-natural systems (such as machines or infrastructures) with natural systems (biosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere). Engineering, being a central element of human society, needs to understand and take into account the relationships between natural and non-natural systems when creating structures needed to sustain the quality of life of current and future generations. Traditionally, engineering practice and engineering education have been based on the paradigm of control of nature rather than cooperation with nature. In this paradigm, humans and the natural world are divided. As a result, past engineering achievements have often been developed without considering their social, economic and environmental impacts on natural systems. A worldwide transition to a more holistic approach to engineering requires a major paradigm shift from control of nature to participation with nature. For example, the question of what represents a sustainable engineering structure or system is still an open-ended question that needs to be addressed and clarified by engineers. Engineers need to be given a much broader and integrated education than what is traditionally taught in engineering curricula today. For example, an ability to understand how engineering structures adapt and adjust to natural systems is critical. It is clear that engineers of the 21st century will be called to make decisions in a professional environment where they will have to interact with others from many technical and non-technical disciplines. In response to the global nature of the problems that Earth is facing today and is likely to face in the near future and in view of the complexity of the interaction between natural and natural systems, we are developing a new initiative called Earth Systems Engineering (ESE) in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering at the University of Colorado at Boulder. As a first step in this initiative, we are planning to conduct an international workshop on ESE on October 4-6, 2001 on the CU Boulder campus. The workshop will be three days in length and will bring together industry, government and university participants from engineering, physical sciences, biological sciences, and social sciences. The overall purpose of the workshop is three-fold: (1) provide an intellectual framework for interdisciplinary exchange, (2) provide recommendations on the future course of engineering education, research, and practice in the understanding of the interaction between natural and non-natural systems at multiple scales from local to regional and global, and (3) recommend new engineering concepts in water resources, geomechanical, environmental, and other sub-fields in Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering. More specifically, the workshop will consider the interaction of natural systems with non-natural systems such as civil, environmental and architectural infrastructures (e.g. the built environment). All three components of ESE research, education and outreach will be addressed throughout the workshop.