Engineering, Sustainability and Nature
Professor David Ting on how the engineering that has modernised society must now strive for progressively cleaner and more sustainable solutions.
The author C. S. Lewis had foresight when he disclosed, “The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles, but to irrigate deserts.” The engineering that has modernised society must strive for progressively cleaner and more sustainable solutions for tomorrow. The most effective way to realise this is to equip tomorrow’s leaders, especially engineers, with the proper education to do so.
The Turbulence & Energy Laboratory annual conference series (see, for example, 'Responsible Engineering and Living 2022 Symposium & Industry Summit') endeavours to play a part in this role. The mission of the conference series is to bring experts, students, and other stakeholders of differing backgrounds together to exchange ideas and foster both short- and long-term solutions. As such, the conference series is comprehensive, covering topics including climate change, renewable energy, clean air, water conservation and reclamation, food for the world, waste reduction, sustainable buildings, responsible living, nature-friendly architecture, resource stewardship, and essential financial and policy supports. The emphasis is to consider challenges from multiple fronts simultaneously. The water-energy-food nexus and self-sufficient communities are two such examples. The consolidated solutions spawning from integrated analyses are superior to solitary ones.
The accompanying books, published by Springer, document and detail these findings, facilitating effective dissemination of progressive advancements for policy and decision makers to adopt, and for tomorrow’s engineers to master, enhance and implement.
While we long for innovative breakthroughs, let us be reminded of the importance of modest, pragmatic improvements including those that require minor changes in our everyday living. Progressive, small advancements and adjustments are less risky, and the outcomes are more certain. Most importantly, widespread realisation of time-tested, little-by-little measures is needed to turn the tide, creating a brighter tomorrow for the generations after us.
For more resources on clean and sustainable energy, take a closer look at our hub for SDG7.
About the author
David S.-K. Ting worked on clean combustion with turbulence prior to joining the University of Windsor. Over his 25-year tenure at the University of Windsor, Dr. Ting has taught over two thousand young minds, and more than a dozen engineering courses. With the help of many good hands, he founded the Allinterest Research Institute in 1993 and many years later, the Turbulence & Energy Laboratory in 2012, where he supervises students on a wide range of research projects primarily in the Energy Conservation and Renewable Energy areas. To date, Prof. Ting has co/supervised over eighty graduate students and co-authored more than one hundred and sixty journal papers, five textbooks, and co-edited over twenty volumes.
“Fundamentally, this jungle boy from the Borneo rainforest is still astounded by the beauty, order, and impregnability of nature”, David S.-K. Ting
Professor Ting has published many books with Springer, including the following:
Advances in Sustainable Energy https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-05636-0
Sustaining Resources for Tomorrow https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-27676-8
Mitigating Climate Change https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-92148-4
