Introduction to Environmental Engineering
Environmental engineers focus on improving air, land and water quality.Copyright (top to bottom) Air Resources Board, California Environmental Protection Agency; Michael Larson, National Park Service; Scott Church, National Park Service http://www.arb.ca.gov/research/research.htm
http://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/paradise.htm
http://www.nps.gov/olym/naturescience/elwha-faq.htm
Students are presented with examples of the types of problems that environmental engineers solve, specifically focusing on air and land quality issues. Air quality topics include air pollution sources, results of poor air quality including global warming, acid rain and air pollution, as well as ways to reduce air pollution. Land quality topics include the differences between renewable and non-renewable resources, the results of non-renewable resource misuse and ways to reduce land pollution. (Water quality is introduced in a later lesson in a separate presentation, as it is the focal point of this unit curriculum.)
Environmental engineering topics related to air and land quality are highly relevant issues facing engineers, as well as communities and ecosystems at large. Example issues include global warming, geologic carbon sequestration, and pesticide and herbicide contamination on produce.
After this lesson, students should be able to:
- Define what environmental engineers do and identify current problems they face.
- Describe sources and consequences of poor air quality as well as ways to reduce air pollution.
- Relate the greenhouse effect to increases in carbon dioxide emissions and global warming.
- Recognize effects of land pollution and ways to minimize use of non-renewable resources.