Institution news
When I read a recent article in the New Scientist by Michael le Page, which stated that climate science now shows that a sea level rise of 5m is unavoidable, and that without dramatic action a rise of 20m is more likely, alarm bells rang. This will mean the loss of Bangladesh, Florida, the Netherlands and other low-lying areas.
For environmentalists, this type of article makes painful reading. After decades of campaigning for cleaner energy production, lower polluting industries and reduction in waste production, what type of extreme action do we now need?
As an environmentalist and an engineer, I believe that technological advancements could yield real reductions in carbon and other polluting emissions, as well as help us meet the needs of an ever increasing global population.
I also find myself drawn to Ecomodernism, a movement that aims to use human ingenuity to ensure that the future nine billion residents of planet Earth can lead a secure, prosperous, free and fulfilling life; and at the same time protect the wild, natural and beautiful habitats and ecosystems.
How do engineers meet these conflicting challenges? Ecomodernism believes the answer is not to try and harmonise our lives with the wild habitats, but to decouple human activities from those of our natural environment.
We know that the increased use of wind power, solar power and small scale farming will not create the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and pollution that we need to prevent the impending climate change. However, intensification of farming, energy extraction, utilities and urbanisation might be the answer - if they are kept within existing cities.
Ecomodernism would encourage people to move to the cities where healthcare, education, employment and food are centralised, and leave the rural habitats to be wild and unmanaged. Engineers would need to lead this transition.
Transport, utilities and food systems would require significant research and development to find ways to create the amounts of clean energy, water, food and mobility solutions to power such cities – maybe more gas, nuclear, solar, vertical farming and synthetic foods. This would be a chance for engineers to improve and change the world through engineering as never before.
This will not be easy; asking individuals to give up their homes and expectations for the good of the planet will be a challenge, but according to the Ecomodernist Manifesto: "Development would allow people in the world’s poorest countries to move into cities — as they did decades ago in rich nations — and get better educations and jobs. Urban living would accelerate demographic transitions, lowering infant mortality rates and allowing fertility rates to decline, taking further pressure off the planet."
If we want to save humanity and the planet, we have to take a radically different approach and think about the problem from a new perspective. Whether ecomodernism is the answer or not is debatable. But what is not in doubt is the role of engineers in tackling the challenge of rising sea water and climate change. If the global population is to have a chance of living the lifestyle it now expects, engineers need to be bold and radical in their thinking and actions.
Jenifer Baxter is the Institution’s Head of Energy and the Environment.