Engineering has always been a forefront in our desires for solution. For centuries, the practical aspects of engineering are applied to design structures, tools and systems for a desired outcome. The relevance of engineering is gaining momentum as the world’s population dramatically increases. This has put a strain on our finite resources to meet our demands for economic growth. The world population is expected to swell by 2.6 billion over the next 45 years, from 6.5 billion to 9.1 billion in 20501. In tandem with this huge increase, the world’s energy consumption is projected to increase by 50 percent from 2005 to 20302 .
There has been mounting evidences that the process of deriving energy contributes to global warming and climate change. Coal has been the most widely used source for energy and is one of the major contributors to the emission of carbon dioxide. In addition, evidences have pointed out that carbon dioxide disrupts the climate and contributes to global warming. However, the consumption of coal is expected to increase annually. Hence, the challenge for engineers is to find means to diversify the sources of fuel and to implement solutions that encourage energy efficiency. As there are various branches in engineering, engineers can contributed significantly in designs that address the concerns of high energy consumption. Hybrid vehicles were designed to tap the advantages of running with gasoline and electricity. As a result, these vehicles are widely known for giving better mileage and having low emission. Technological advances have also shifted the focus to waste as a useful product. In addressing the need for low carbon emission fuel, there are incineration plants to convert ordinary household garbage to electricity. The time is ripe for engineers to reap the benefits from renewable resources. There are huge potential in solar power as feasible energy alternative. Although there are problems in storage of energy, the result in the progress of harnessing solar energy has been encouraging. In fact, it is one of the fastest growing renewable energy source in the world.
It is imperative that these challenges are tackled as the world simply cannot sustain the growing rate of energy consumption. These challenges are best met from the minds of an engineer, whose training thrives on creative problem solving. The demand of an engineering education for critical thinking skills in designing solutions augurs well for meeting these challenges.
1. http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2005/pop918.doc.htm 2004 Revision of the official United Nations population estimates and projections
2. http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/06/30/eia-predicts-energy-50-increase-in-world-energy-consumption-by-2030/ EIA predicts 50% increase in World Energy Consumption by 2030, Timothy B. Hurst
