What role does engineering innovation have in environmental change, and what should the balance in policy be?

The writer Carlos Luis Fallas described in his books the life in the Costa Rican Atlantic plantations. His work contains important social insights in the decades of 1920 – 1940. One of his novels published in 1947 makes an interesting reference about the high levels of deforestation the Atlantic region suffered as a result of intensive agricultural practices. In a fragment of this book remember a character approximately saying:

“I cannot believe the damage done to our mountains, even the weather will change” [1] .

This is perhaps the earliest reference to climate change I remember reading. I read it at a time the topic of climate change was gathering momentum and increasing attention was being paid in mainstream media. Today, the world’s main media outlets contain daily discussions about the climate emergency and its catastrophic evidence. Events such as wild fires, floods, and droughts in all continents remind us of how fragile and vulnerable cities, communities, and wildlife are. In this blog I examine the role engineering innovation has in relation to alleviating climate change; and debate the need for new technology alongside other policy instruments and how these can be complementary in tackling the climate emergency.

Costa Rica (my country of birth) effectively had serious deforestation problems until the decade of 1980, with one of the worst records in the world at that time [2]. Agricultural and wood exports plus cattle farming created significant pressure in clearing forest land. Since then different educational efforts and policies have been implemented. In particular, protecting areas with high levels of biodiversity, and reforesting to revert (in so far as is possible) some of the damage. Costa Rica’s successful reforestation has been documented and remarked on globally as a case study [2]. Despite this preservation of areas, the country now faces contemporary ecological and environmental issues linked to liveability in its major urban areas, with increasing levels of road traffic and lack of greenery in the metropolitan area. This is not unique to Costa Rica, and the lack of green space publicly available in cities is part of a global challenge currently affecting people’s quality of living around the globe. 

In the coming month, the UN Climate Change Conference COP26 will take place in Glasgow - UK. There are high expectations on the outcomes and policies deriving from this event, especially after the successful COP21 and its Paris Agreement [3]. Under the agreement (ratified to-date by 191 parties), the UK and the European Union have committed to all greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2050 [4] [5] Net-zero policies are aiming to curb emissions connected with fossil fuel dependency in human activities such as transport, manufacturing, energy production, agriculture, and others. After implementing all practical and technical opportunities, the residual emissions are permitted providing they are compensated by being removed using natural or engineered methods [6].

Engineering and scientific contributions have been added to the solutions matrix for low emissions and carbon capture. Direct air capture (DAC) technology, green hydrogen, and electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles are among them [7] [8] [9]. Whilst these solutions are exciting and provide scope for significant innovation and engineering challenge, the timescales to implement these technologies in full and at scale (globally and including infrastructure to support their application) is a significant factor in our need to reconsider their feasibility as a sole or main solution. We need to determine how quickly we might need alternative action whilst the technological solutions and innovation are given time to develop. For example, we will need further study into certain technologies in order to understand their safety and whole life-cycle impact, which will have implications in relation to the pace at which progress could be made. In a previous blog entry I gave my insights about the electrification of transport. Policies and strategies in place to reduce emissions linked to vehicles need to be examined to avoid other unintended consequences or future policy problems, such as environmental problems related to the extraction of minerals, the recycling of batteries, and energy production. 

Although the targets and promising technology for 2050 are highly important for the planet, it is also crucial to establish parallel environmental policies for this decade, engaging with local communities and individuals in an effective manner. Engineering, as with other disciplines, has a key role to play in this.

Planting trees

Studies in relevant topics such as forest management for carbon sequestration, augmenting forest resilience by increasing species diversity, and competing discourses in global environmental governance  [10] [11] [12] exemplify the interdisciplinary work done by different authors about natural strategies for carbon offset. In this already proven cost-effective strategy, each country can find the best approach to plant native trees and protect them.

Successful projects include Bhutan’s reforesting policies and the 2004 Nobel Peace laureated Wangari Maathai and the Green Belt Movement (50 million trees planted). Bhutan’s constitution was amended to include that forested areas would not drop below 60%, and has a record of being the first carbon negative country in the world. The Green Belt Movement took a holistic approach improving communities’ life quality, economy and education with trees as an access point [13].

Following these steps, The European Union is planning to plant 3 billion trees by 2030, and the city of Glasgow is planning to plant 18 million trees in the next few years [14] [15]. These initiatives are also of importance in cities subject to the urban heat island effect. In summer, London alone can be up to 10 °C hotter than neighbouring rural areas due to this effect [16].

Apart from tree planting efforts, the author Jonathon Porritt adds important points such as restoring mangroves and wetlands, kelp and seagrass beds, and agroforestry programs among other resources to start doing now at scale [17]. These alternatives of course need to be planned and consulted with professionals in the areas as there can be consequences on biodiversity if managed incorrectly.

Alternative policy areas to prioritise for immediate action

There are other areas where policy and educational efforts can help with environmental targets for this decade.  For example, we could enact policy related to reducing environmental degradation; fast fashion; the increased use of public transport, and we need interdisciplinary research to support environmental policy, which is sufficiently nuanced and examines the environmental ethics of new commercial ventures.

We need to tackle issues encouraging forest decay and land clearing. A recent investigation highlighted how protected Amazonas land has been listed for sale in a social media platform. This has now being addressed by the social media company but it is a reminder about the efforts the internet era requires on environmental matters [18]. Future policy research needs to engage with dilemmas such as who sells what, at what cost, when, where, and why – to try and tackle environmental exploitation.

Fast-fashion is another major polluter in the world. Intensive cotton farming and water use, plus a quick discarding (approximately 85% of all textiles get disposed per year) generate more emissions than maritime shipping and international flights combined [19]. It also has been reported that less than 2% of clothing workers globally earn a fair living wage [19]. The effects of this industry have been documented and the UN launched the Alliance of Sustainable Fashion in 2019 [20]. Conversations about policies and strategies around this subject are starting to gain traction in the European Union [21] but education and awareness in this topic (especially among young people and influencers) is increasingly urgent towards building responsible consumption habits. Powerful conversations about reusing and donating clothes are now visible in the media.

In public transport, there are already different efforts to reduce dependency of cars for commuting. Countries such as Luxemburg and Estonia have made free the public transport and there are plans to introduce a reduced fare train from London to Edinburgh to allow people to choose this alternative versus flying [22] [23].  The model of hybrid or remote working (brought to some of us by the pandemic) and a correct urban planning where public transport and cycle paths are easily accessible has a demonstrated positive impact not only by curbing the use of fossil fuels but also on people’s wellbeing and mental health.

The possibility of parallel policy

Although many of the policy areas indicated above might be developed and applied locally, or nationally – there is the possibility of a larger scale more extensive policy solution to hand. Geoengineering is defined by the University of Oxford as “the deliberate large-scale intervention in the Earth’s natural systems to counteract climate change” [24]. Whilst technology and geoengineering are trialling excellent initiatives to support carbon mitigation in the atmosphere, these need to be complemented by policy solutions such as planting trees, policies and education about fast-fashion, and accessible public transport. We need interdisciplinary policy approaches that overall contribute extensive change.

Costa Rica

Returning to Costa Rica, according to the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), Costa Rica incremented the forest landmass proportion from 21% in 1984 to 52% by 2015 [25]. Costa Rica’s reforesting efforts are still ongoing, currently supported by volunteering programs (with high profile volunteers invited to create awareness), private business, and NGOs. Sustainable tourism has been a good drive for communities towards conservation. I remember planting a tree on my first year of primary school. This was a regular activity in my school with a powerful message behind.

In 2008 Costa Rica embraced the ambitious goal of becoming carbon neutral by this year (2021). Although this target may not yet be realised and there are still areas to improve in order to achieve this goal, the extensive efforts have produced effective change. Efforts include conservation, reforestation, and harvesting of clean energy, each of which has hugely benefited the population and increased the quality of living. Time will tell if the global efforts and targets to 2050 will be achieved, and if technologies will be suitable for their use at large scale. However, we need to have parallel plans and policies including those coming out of COP26 in order to significantly impact climate change.

The blog was authored by Dr. Juan Carlos Fallas-Chinchilla, who is a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE, UK)

References

[1] "Fallas CL. Gentes y gentecillas. Editorial Costa Rica; 1986.".

[2] "Costa Rica has doubled its tropical rainforests in just a few decades. Here’s how.," World Economic Forum, 2019. [Online]. Available: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/06/costa-rica-has-doubled-its-tropical-rainforests-in-just-a-few-decades-here-s-how/.

[3] "The Paris Agreement," United Nations Climate Change, [Online]. Available: https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/the-paris-agreement.

[4] "UK becomes first major economy to pass net zero emissions law.," Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Stragegy, [Online]. Available: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-becomes-first-major-economy-to-pass-net-zero-emissions-law.

[5] "2050 long-term strategy," European Comission, [Online]. Available: https://ec.europa.eu/clima/eu-action/climate-strategies-targets/2050-long-term-strategy_en.

[6] "What is net-zero?," Grantham Research Institute on Cimate Change and the Environment, [Online]. Available: https://www.lse.ac.uk/granthaminstitute/news/what-is-net-zero/.

[7] "UK Civil Aviation Authority establishes eVTOL safety group," eVTOL, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://evtol.com/news/uk-civil-aviation-authority-establishes-evtol-safety-group/.

[8] "Why we need green hydrogen?," Columbia Climate School, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2021/01/07/need-green-hydrogen/.

[9] "The device that reverses CO2 emissions," BBC Future Planet, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210310-the-trillion-dollar-plan-to-capture-co2.

[10] "Bäckstrand K, Lövbrand E. Planting trees to mitigate climate change: Contested discourses of ecological modernization, green governmentality and civic environmentalism. Global environmental politics. 2006 Feb 1;6(1):50-75.".

[11] "Hof AR, Dymond CC, Mladenoff DJ. Climate change mitigation through adaptation: the effectiveness of forest diversification by novel tree planting regimes. Ecosphere. 2017 Nov;8(11):e01981.".

[12] "Ontl TA, Janowiak MK, Swanston CW, Daley J, Handler S, Cornett M, Hagenbuch S, Handrick C, McCarthy L, Patch N. Forest management for carbon sequestration and climate adaptation. Journal of Forestry. 2020 Jan 7;118(1):86-101.".

[13] "The Nobel Peace Prize for 2004," [Online]. Available: https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2004/press-release/.

[14] "Eighteen million trees to be planted around Glasgow," BBC, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-57315467.

[15] "3 billion trees to be planted in EU by 2030," European Comission, [Online]. Available: https://ec.europa.eu/environment/3-billion-trees_en.

[16] "Heat," Mayor of London, [Online]. Available: https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/environment/climate-change/climate-adaptation/heat.

[17] "Porritt J. Hope in Hell: A decade to confront the climate emergency. Simon and Schuster; 2020 Jun 25.".

[18] "Facebook to act on illegal sale of Amazon rainforest," BBC, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-58843166.

[19] "The fashion industry emits more carbon than international flights and maritime shipping combined. Here are the biggest ways it impacts the planet," Insider, 2019. [Online]. Available: https://www.businessinsider.com/fast-fashion-environmental-impact-pollution-emissions-waste-water-2019-10?r=US&IR=T.

[20] "UN Alliance for Suistainable Fashion," United Nations, 2019. [Online]. Available: https://unfashionalliance.org/.

[21] "Initiative launches to fight Clothing Waste around Europe," European Comission, [Online]. Available: https://ec.europa.eu/environment/europeangreencapital/clothing-waste-initiative/.

[22] "The cost of Luxembourg's free public transport plan," BBC Worklife, 2019. [Online]. Available: https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20190128-the-cost-of-luxembourgs-free-public-transport-plan.

[23] "New London-Edinburgh train service to offer cheap £15 tickets," Evening Standard, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/new-london-edinburgh-rail-service-tickets-lumo-b954051.html.

[24] "Oxford Geoengineering Program," 2018. [Online]. Available: http://www.geoengineering.ox.ac.uk/www.geoengineering.ox.ac.uk/.

[25] "Costa Rica Case Study. Prepared for FAO as part of the State of the World’s Forests 2016 (SOFO)," UN Food and Agricultural Organization, 2015. [Online]. Available: https://www.fao.org/3/C0180e/C0180e.pdf.