• Question: Imagine you are the only engineer on this planet that can save the world. (You can save them from anything you want!) What would you invent to save the world?

    Asked by anon-74897 on 23 Jun 2020.
    • Photo: Luke Winch

      Luke Winch answered on 23 Jun 2020:

      The truth is the world does need saving, saving from the climate change crisis. The other truth part of the solution to the climate crisis has already been developed, renewable energy sources. But there are still many problems to solve like the space these technologies take up, how we store this energy and how we ensure a steady supply for everyone.

    • Photo: David Linsell

      David Linsell answered on 24 Jun 2020:

      For me, the Saving the World comes in three parts:
      1. Understanding what is wrong and what is needed to correct it. This is the lot of the Scientists.
      2. Working out how to design and build the solution that the Scientists have identified. This is the lot of the Engineer.
      3. Having the will and the finances to build the Engineer’s solution. This is a problem of societal desires, economics and politics.
      If one looks back at past developments, it took almost 30 years for the use of seat-belts in cars to be mandatory in both front and rear seats. That was a small change. The changes we are facing on the Climate front are much bigger.
      My invention, to save the world, would be something that helped politicians and society at large understand the Scientists concerns and the Engineers solutions, and then put them into effect by providing the financial resources and necessary legislation in a timely manner.

    • Photo: Asha Panchal

      Asha Panchal answered on 3 Jul 2020:

      A big challenge facing the world right now is climate change. But people/organisations/countries are not all motivated to make positive contributions to reducing their impact because, unfortunately, the damaging materials (fossil fuels, cement etc.) are cheaper than their greener alternatives. I would impose taxes on detrimental materials or incentivise the uptake of green alternatives through subsidisies.

    • Photo: Katie Sparks

      Katie Sparks answered on 9 Jul 2020:

      I’m glad I’m not the only engineer, but the world does need saving and from all sorts of things!

      I think my first thought would be – who could help me?
      Closely followed by – what are other people up to?

      I think everyone has some engineering ability – from making a plan to investigate what is wrong, getting other people on board to help out, having specific knowledge of something, coming up with ideas to try out and then putting together something that could work.

      I bet you use some of those engineering skills all the time!

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