When I think about the promise of technology to aid global warming, I certainly am a firm believer in the use of software tools to better manage our impact on our Earth. I also think that there will be incredible opportunities for mechanical engineers and those that can make all our mechanical systems perform more efficiently. Not only will there be a need for better designers and engineers to create our machines, there will also be a huge need for installers, mechanics and other maintenance people.
No longer will it be enough for our systems to just work, we’ll need them to perform optimally with as little intake of energy as possible and the least amount of carbon output. The realities of global changes and limited resources means that we can no longer afford to waste. Less waste will equate closely to economic benefits, and new opportunities.
I was extremely encouraged to learn that MIT has a very popular Energy Club that is designed to teach its members all about energy issues. There’s a great back story on how the club got started in this feature in the New York Times. The cross-disciplinary approach that is described here is the most heartening detail, that and the fact that the club has more than 750 members in just four years.
I was also excited to read in Newsweek about the club’s effort to install energy savings devices in all of the vending machines across campus.
