• Question: How are you going to change the environment and everything around it?

    Asked by The BrightSpark to Ashwanth, Jeni, Mark, Natalie, Stephen on 14 Jun 2016.
    • Photo: Stephen Richardson

      Stephen Richardson answered on 14 Jun 2016:

      I guess each of us can only change a little bit at a time.
      My work will help sainsburys and hopefully other companies, to build their buildings from materials that don’t damage the environment as much. I also want to help people and companies to think about how they can change the way they use things so that when they’re finished with something it doesn’t just get thrown away but can be reused or recycled into something new.
      This is called the circular economy and in many ways it’s about copying how nature works because nature doesn’t throw things away – everything is used and reused all the time.

    • Photo: Natalie Wride

      Natalie Wride answered on 14 Jun 2016:

      Hi BrightSpark 🙂

      This is a really difficult question! In my research at the minute, I want my findings to help Engineers designing high speed train lines. It’s so important to me that my research is used in industry and benefits you and me – it’s what Engineering is all about! So when I’m looking at the vibrations of the ground underneath the trains, I want my research to help Engineers design the safest train line and one that lasts for 120 years without lots of repairs. (In Civil Engineering, we have to design structures like railway lines to last for 120 years!!!)

      People have said high speed rail will improve the economy – stations across the country will mean people in that area have more visitors spending money and more people moving there to be close to transport links. This is only possible if the line is built! More importantly, it will only happen if the train line is safe and runs on time – so I want my research to improve Engineers’ understanding of the ground beneath trains to make sure trains are not delayed because of unexpected repairs.

      Broader than this, one of the reasons I really enjoy Civil Engineering is because you get to work on lots of different projects. It’s a great feeling knowing you’ve been involved in a project that benefits peoples’ lives. Building roads, water treatment plants, flood defences, buildings like your school and home all improve the environment in which you live. And whilst doing these, we must make sure were not having a negative impact on nature 🙂

    • Photo: Mark Gowan

      Mark Gowan answered on 14 Jun 2016:

      Another really good question BrightSpark.
      It is up to us all to change the environment and everything around it.
      As engineers we can influence people and create new products to help the environment. But every thing we do can have a negative impact on the environment, so if we want to move forward we have to be smarter with our natural resources and reuse what we have already have.

    • Photo: Jeni Spragg

      Jeni Spragg answered on 14 Jun 2016:

      At the moment I am researching a new process for the production of hydrogen. Hydrogen is very important as we use it in the production of lots of different things (such as margarine, converting crude oil to petrol and diesel or fertilizers for the farming industry). It might get even more important in future, if we start using it as a clean fuel for cars.

      However, the current process for making hydrogen on a big scale is not very environmentally friendly. It relies on fossil fuels, has a high carbon footprint, and is very expensive to do.

      The process I am researching will have a lower carbon footprint, use renewable fuel from biological sources, and will be more compact and flexible.

      Research like this is really important, if we are to reduce climate change by reducing our carbon emissions. We are getting really good at making clean electricity from sources such as wind and solar, however we also have to think about the carbon footprints of all the products we use. It’s great to use my knowledge to help design an environmentally friendly process for the future.

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