Continuing last week’s theme, let’s explore the two candidates’ stated positions on energy and the environment. Following are summaries of the four things listed at the top of each of the candidates’ web site listings

McCain:

• Expanding domestic oil and natural gas exploration and production
• Taking action now to break our dependency on foreign oil by reforming our transportation sector using alternatively powered vehicles.
• Investing in clean, alternative sources of energy with nuclear power featured prominently in the solution.
• Protecting our environment and addressing climate change: A sound energy strategy must include a solid environmental foundation.

Obama:

• Provide short-term relief to American families facing pain at the pump
• Help create five million new jobs by strategically investing $150 billion over the next ten years to catalyze private efforts to build a clean energy future.
• Within 10 years save more oil than we currently import from the Middle East and Venezuela combined.
• Put 1 million Plug-In Hybrid cars — cars that can get up to 150 miles per gallon — on the road by 2015, cars that we will work to make sure are built here in America.

Energy and the environment are both critical issues to engineers. We work every day to develop sources of energy for the public and to make the best use of our natural resources. Without exception, engineers are tasked with developing the cleanup programs when our environment has been harmed.

Does either candidate have a clear “engineering” advantage over the other? It’s difficult to say because the tone of their positions is so different. McCain’s main points sound like broad strategies for dealing with the issues. Obama’s main points sound like specific goals that if achieved, will indicate we are on our way.

I suspect that McCain’s approach might appeal more to those who are looking for broad longer range solutions whereas Obama’s approach might appeal to individuals who feel burdened every time they fill up their gas tank and want some relief now.

Again, understand that the above is just a small sampling of what can be found on their websites. You must dig a lot deeper to find meaningful answers to how they would specifically address the issues of energy and the environment.

What do you think? Is McCain nuts to think that more drilling will have a measurable impact on our dependency on foreign oil? Is Obama dreaming when he thinks the same folks that need short-term relief at the pump will fork over thousands of dollars to buy 1 million hybrid vehicles in the next 7 years?

Tim Groover
Wiley & Wilson

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Wow!  After having fallen into that pond that sunny winter day in Rappahannock County when I was 6 years old, you’d think I’d know enough to stay off thin ice.

However, just to make things interesting, we’ll spend October discussing some of the positions the two main presidential candidates have taken and how engineers might view these positions.  And we will do so in a non-partisan way.  The positions of the candidates on these issues will be taken directly from their web sites.  Conveniently, both candidates have “Issues” tabs which make it easy to compare their stated positions.  The tough part is determining how to summarize the many pages of information into this blog.  I will attempt to do this by assuming that the candidates are placing their views in the order of their priority and will only hit on the first few views.

I wonder how many voters actually view this information as opposed to getting their “facts” from the often embarrassing and distorted campaign ads.

So, in recognition of the intended audience of this blog, let’s start with . . . EDUCATION!

McCain – Some of the key things John McCain supports include:

• School standards that result in accountability which means in order to receive government funding, schools must perform to a minimum level.
• School choice which would allow parents to move their children and their money from failing schools to schools of their choice.
• Incentives, including cash bonuses, for teachers who demonstrate the ability to improve student performance.

Obama – Some of the key things Barak Obama supports include:

• Support of early childhood education through universal preschool, quadrupling Early Head Start funding, and providing affordable and high-quality child care to ease the burden of working families.
• Specific mention of the importance to our country of making math and science education a “national priority.”
• Recruit, prepare, retain, and reward teachers through several federally supported initiatives.
• Make college more affordable with several financial incentives for “most” students if they are willing to perform specified amounts of community service.

Understand that the above is just a small sampling of what can be found on their websites.

This is a great example of an issue where the two sides point fingers at one another and make the usual claims.  The Democrats say the Republicans are for dot tests that force schools to teach a certain way and that school choice would only rob the poorest schools of critical resources.  The Republicans say that the long list initiatives proposed by the Democrats results in bigger government control of the schools and unavoidable tax increases to pay for all of the new programs with no real accountability.

So, where do engineers fit into this?  Engineers are all about standards and accountability . . . everything we do is based at least in part on some physical law and/or regulatory code.  We also see a great need for increased focus on math and science and are crying out for more college grads with engineering degrees.  Some would say it’s clear as mud.  What do you think?

Coming up next . . . Energy and the Environment!

Tim Groover, Wiley & Wilson

Engineering is boring?  Now whoever told you that?  There really isn’t enough space here to discuss all the truly important and very fascinating problems that engineers solve day after day.  Yes, engineers solve problems.  Human problems, problems that impact people in virtually every aspect of their lives every day, and, in many instances, affect the very health and safety of us all.  Now, if you think it is boring to design a bridge that is safe for drivers to use for years and years, or to come up with a solution that keeps a museum’s indoor climate just right to preserve historic artifacts from deterioration and keep it comfortable for thousands of visitors to come to enjoy a part of their past, or to design something as “ordinary” as a highway rest area that not only saves the environment but also saves taxpayers – you and your family and neighbors – money, well, maybe engineering isn’t the field for you.

There are many, many problems in our society waiting for solutions: “greener” energy and transportation; better and safer building designs; cleaner air and water; the list is virtually endless.  And new challenges to improve our way of life arise year after year, with new solutions building on the discoveries and inventions of previous generations.

Now, the challenges listed above – the bridge, museum, rest area – are not just “Suppose …” situations.  Earlier this year these three projects vied for top honors in design excellence right here in Virginia.  Maybe you have seen them.  The bridges are the two new ones in Rockbridge County on I-81 in the Shenandoah Valley.  The museum is the new National Museum of the Marine Corps at Quantico in Prince William County near Washington, D.C.  And the rest area is on I-64 between Richmond and Williamsburg.

Boring?  Uh, uh!  Virginia engineers design projects that are constructed all over the world as well as all over Virginia and the rest of the country.  There is no way to describe the pride engineers take when pointing out to friends and family, saying “I worked on that project!”  A bridge, a highway, a building, a water or wastewater treatment plant, a dam or canal, an airport … everything in what is called “the built environment” … takes human hands and minds to design and build.  Creativity and innovation call out to every new generation of Americans.  YOU can be a part of building tomorrow.  Start today by doing well in school and keeping your eyes on what you and our world CAN be!

Do you want to become an engineer?  You’ll be using a lot of math and science, so you have to like both subjects.  You also have to be an analytical thinker.  Do you like thinking about what makes the lawnmower cut grass?  Or how the vents in your house can blow out cold AND warm air?  Most of all, do you want to make a difference in the world by coming up with creative solutions to help people live better, healthier lives?  With so many problems attached with global warming, many engineers are now going green.  They are being trained in how to help solve the world’s global warming problems through an initiative called (Leadership in Environmental and Efficient Design) LEED.  If you like the idea of working everyday to help solve our planet’s global warming problems, consider becoming an engineer.

Learn more about what it takes to have a career in engineering here.

Have you ever seen workers doing something similar to the photo here?  These people are called Land Surveyors.  They work on mapping the land and also provide quality assurance when a project is built.  While an engineer might work on designing the bus loop for your school, it is the job of the land surveyor to make sure that whoever builds that bus loop is putting it in the correct place.  Think about the Great Pyramids in Egypt.  It takes great precision and skill to take an idea in your mind or on paper and create something as huge as the pyramids.  To make the pyramids, Egyptian builders had to know at what points on the ground to begin (and stop) placing stones.  The Egyptians were very smart and good land surveyors, in fact they even used measurements techniques that land surveyors use today!  Although the techniques are similar, the technology has changed drastically.  Today, land surveyors use a combination of robotics, GIS, CAD, mathematics, and physics as well as various communication technologies to make sure that whatever gets built is accurate so that in the end it works correctly, safely and lasts a long, long time.�
 

“Just Google it” – just about anyone reading this knows what I mean.  Maybe a couple of years ago, Grandma may have smacked you on the face for saying this (at least that was my grandmother’s initial reaction to any new saying).  But no, today, grandma has probably already beaten you to the punch and has Google as her home page on her laptop.  So what’s to blog about a search engine?  How about the Google Book search engine and its repercussions towards our younger generation becoming engineers?

If you haven’t ever used it, here’s a brief description from Google:
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“ Many of the books in Google Book Search come from authors and publishers who participate in our Partner Program. For these books, our partners decide how much of the book is browsable — anywhere from a few sample pages to the whole book….”  One of the nice twists about the search engine is the ability to specify “Full View Only” as one of the search criteria.  Who needs to view 1800 books on a subject when there are 200 full view choices on-line?
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Now Google isn’t alone in the online book world, but they have the biggest name recognition so let’s start there.  What does an online book search engine have to do with an engineering education?  Well, let’s do a search and see…. how about a book used at the # 1 ranked engineering school in the country, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (or MIT for short).  The secrets and information shared by those individuals must be top secret or classified…. No way an average ordinary person could access the information contained inside the hallow halls of MIT!
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Of course, we all know today that isn’t true, nor even a remote issue.  Any of us can access more information about MIT and their educational system than any one person can absorb, all available at our fingertips online.  And that’s true for all of our universities and colleges throughout our vast country.

And the best part about it – no one can stop you based upon your race, religion, economic status, sex, or whatever.  That’s the point of this blog – the world’s libraries are available to each of you at your fingertips, and no one can stop you (or wants to stop you) from accessing all of the knowledge that lies within.  And that’s really the biggest part of an education – exposing you to knowledge and information developed by your predecessors.  Engineering would be an extremely difficult career choice if we all had to start from scratch!  But we don’t, and the access is unlimited.

So back to my book search, how about a subject I deal with every day, Civil Engineering.  Do students at MIT learn restricted information about the civil engineering only available to a special few?  I would think so, God knows they are paying for it……  I mean fair is fair.
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But again I’m being sarcastic, after 60 seconds of a Google Book Search (I’m exhausted), I’ve found something interesting to me, Airport System Development.  Airport projects are what I work on every day as a civil engineer.  The same authors that wrote my tranportation engineering book I used at Virginia Tech wrote this book.  You can view it here:

http://books.google.com/books?id=hihBG2mzB1MC&pg=PT4&dq=airport+engineering&lr=&as_brr=1&sig=ACfU3U1tkmVWvGzO7zR0CXnhVonvc3hBkQ

What do you know, I can read just about the entire book and I never left home.  Not only can I read the book, but I can find out what books MIT uses as their textbooks.  Then try to locate them online, or similar texts.  Didn’t have to spend a penny, and I have access to so much information.
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But life has always been this way hasn’t it?
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Well, if you think so, then I love your young naivety, but I’ve got news for you, not only were many people restricted from entrance to our greatest educational facilities, but they were restricted access to our most humble and basic libraries.  Why, well it’s complicated and delves into a lifelong lesson in world history, a little too much for a blog.  But there are plenty of books available online in which you can read all about it for free.  And I promise, no one will ask you about your skin color, religion, sex, how much money you have or any other information, because society finally seems to be grasping the meaning conveyed in our Declaration of Independence – that we are all equal.
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I hope you’ve had a chance to watch some of the Olympic games in China – and noticed some of the news stories about the Chinese government trying to figure out what to allow and what to restrict in terms of internet access, published news stories, etc.  It wasn’t long ago that our own government tried to figure out ways to restrict people’s access to information – true freedom is an education.  Governments can strip you of your freedom, but they can never take away your education.  That was a lesson my father taught to me at a young age, and I understand it more now than ever before.  He wasn’t referring to a formal education, he was talking about my own personal education – because a smart professor doesn’t guarantee that you will get any smarter for listening to them – you have to educate yourself.  You can certainly learn form others, but when it comes down to what you know and understand, only you know the real answer.  Did you learn something or not?  Are you more educated than you were before?
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The greatest possible engineering education in the history of mankind is available to anyone, online, at his or her fingertips.  More amazing information and knowledge than any one-person can absorb in a lifetime.  That’s amazing.  There has never been a time like this in the history of human civilization.  No restrictions – the only person stopping you is you!  So if I was back in high school, would I work any harder to get into MIT knowing what I know now?  Probably not, I would still be preoccupied by that one girl in my history class…… but, I might browse through that book on Airport System Development - might was well get ahead of the game if you can!!          

Mark McGuire
Campbell & Paris Engineers

As I get older and older I notice more and more technology becoming a part of every day life, particularly amongst our youngest.  Once upon a time, there were no computers, so parents didn’t know their children were better with technology then they were, as it really didn’t matter.  I think an answering machine was the first cool gadget a friend of mine had in their home – we all thought it was crazy.  Why talk to a machine, what will I say?

But with the advent of video games and all sorts of electronic toys geared towards younger and younger children, the youngest of the newest generation isn’t afraid of any technology – in fact they expect change and they expect what is cool today to be outdated tomorrow.

“My child knows how to use a computer better than I do” - yeah, no kidding!  Whenever I hear that statement I’m somehow not surprised……

So that leads to my question, is engineering cool yet?  It wasn’t when I was growing up.  Pencil pushing geeks with pocket protectors and thick black rimmed glasses were all the rage…..  But if Tiger Woods can make golf cool, and J.K. Rowling can get children to voluntarily read 600 plus page books in one sitting, maybe engineers can one day be considered hip and trendy?

Why not – who do you think developed that cell phone glued to your ear?  Like the Internet?  The systems that make it possible weren’t developed by anyone in the NFL or Hollywood.  And all of those cameras and software you use to post your images and info on MySpace and FaceBook – well, don’t thank any doctor or lawyer for that either.  Want to save the planet?  I suggest developing some new technology because I’m not giving up my SUV anytime soon – how else can I get you to soccer practice!

Yup – I think engineers are starting to hit their stride.  If we can get people to read a 400 page manual on how to use a phone, then we can certainly start to ride a wave of popularity and point out to our students just how much of the “fun” in their daily lives is due to engineers – and let them know we need help.  So come on, join the team!  Maybe you can be the next person to design something really really cool!

Mark McGuire, PE
Campbell & Paris Engineers

The next LEED credit category is Energy & Atmosphere.  Buildings consume 37% of the energy and 68% of the electricity consumed in the United States.  Thus, even small reductions in building energy consumption will add up quickly.

LEED awards credits for commissioning of buildings.  This is a process that confirms that the systems designed for a building are installed and operated in the manner intended by the designers.  This helps to identify and correct inefficient and energy-wasting operation.  Additional credits can be earned by instituting a Measurement and Verfication (M&V) program to confirm that the energy savings predicted during the design phase are being realized in actual operation of the building.

Credits are also awarded for reducing energy use below what would be considered industry standard for that type of building.  Other credits are awarded for providing on-site renewable energy, such as photovoltaic, wind, hydro, tidal, biofuel, solar and/or geothermal.

LEED helps address the atmosphere by providing credits for design and operation that reduce and eliminate the use of refrigerants in the air conditioning systems that contribute to ozone depletion and global warming.

A final point can be earned by committing to a contract with an energy provider that generates electricity from renewable sources.  If we can demonstrate and support demand for renewable energy sources, we can drive the energy companies to putting more resources towards research and development of cleaner energy.

Paul Garrison, HSMM AECOM

The next category of credits for LEED certification is Water Efficiency.  This area focuses on those elements of facility design associated with the intelligent use of our water resources.

Per the LEED-NC Reference Guide, in the US, 340 BILLION gallons of fresh water per day are drawn from rivers, streams and reservoirs for residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural and recreational activities.  This accounts for one-fourth of the nation’s total supply of renewable fresh water.

As fresh water becomes increasingly scarce worldwide, making the best use of this vital resource is critical.  LEED intends to assist in this effort by providing ideas to maximize conservation, minimize use and reward innovative approaches.

Irrigation is a principal target for use reduction.  30% of the 26 billion gallons consumed in the nation per day is used for irrigation.  Thus, any reduction in irrigation produces a significant savings.  Strategies include using native/adapted plant selection that don’t require maintenance or irrigation and the use of drip irrigation. 

Use of water conserving plumbing devices, such as low flow sinks, toilets and showers and waterless urinals will also reduce usage. 

There are also methods of capturing rainwater and graywater (water from sinks and washing machines) that could be used instead of domestic drinking water for irrigation and toilet flushing.

Working together and thinking of new ways of conserving and wisely using our water resources are important to us all.

Paul Garrison, HSMM AECOM

Continuing on with last week’s entry on Sustainable Design, the first set of credits for LEED certification are for Sustainable Sites.  This area focuses on those elements of facility design associated with the land on which a building sits.

The intent is to select sites that have been developed previously to avoid destroying valuable wildlife habitat, farmland, etc.  Also, it recommends using sites accessible to pedestrian and public transportation to limit the need for individuals driving cars to the buildings and increasing pollution.

There is emphasis on increasing the amount of open space around buildings to increase their aesthetic value as well as to avoid “Heat island effect,” which increases temperatures because there are no trees and grass to absorb heat from the sun.

Appropriate stormwater management and avoiding excessive light pollution are also addressed by the Sustainable Sites credits.