From Guest Blogger Anita Ginsburg: Five Things That Engineers Are Doing To Build A Greener Future

Today’s engineers are trained to innovate from an environmentally-friendly perspective, and some of their ideas directly assist individuals and communities to build healthier, more sustainable futures for themselves and their families.

#1 Small Scale Home Gardens

Fewer activities are more sustainable than growing one’s own pesticide-free food, but many people who want to do this simply do not have the space or time to cultivate a garden. Engineers have continued to work on small scale home garden solutions for these types of people, and one of the latest products that will soon be available to the public is the Aqualibrium Garden. The Aqualibrium Garden is based on the aquaculture design that provides a self-contained way of growing fresh vegetables indoors. The product is innovative because of its small footprint and portable design.

#2 Green Roof Design and Development

Urban planners and engineers that have a Master of Engineering in civil engineering are working together to green the landscapes of today’s busiest cities with rooftop gardens. Providing green spaces on roofs helps to cool buildings naturally in the summer and keep them warmer during winter months. The savings in energy is only half of the benefits that these roofs provide. Large green roofs dispersed throughout urban areas have been known to bring the temperature of the area down by a few degrees.

#3 Development of Solar Roofs

Solar panels on roofs of homes are not new, but the new generation of solar energy systems embeds the innovative panels within roofing structures as shingles. No longer do home owners have to sacrifice curb appeal to win their energy freedom from the power companies. An example of the latest engineering efforts related to building integrated photovoltaics is the Dow Powerhouse shingle that can be installed by a regular roofing contractor.

#4 Innovations in Electric Vehicles

Norwegians are so fed up with the pollution that is caused by cars and trucks that they have proposed to ban them in their capital city of Oslo by 2019. This proposed ban will help make a difference in a greener future.

#5 Efficient Electric Vehicle Charging

Most countries are not taking the drastic measures that Norway is considering, however, they are doing their part to encourage the use of electric smart cars and hybrids. Engineers at Tesla Motors are developing more efficient car charging stations and battery packs that allow electric cars to be fully charged within five to 10 minutes.

While environmental awareness groups continue to educate the public about the needs and benefits of taking care of the natural environment, engineers and business professionals are working together to create and market products that will help all people to be the environmental caretakers that humans were meant to be. These small steps taken by many people around the world can add up to big gains in the long term.