IEEE Experts: Global Sustainability Requires Technology Advances for Tomorrow, Behavior Changes Today

As we celebrate World Environment Day, we need to innovate around the big ideas while focusing on conservation, say IEEE's global experts

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May 31, 2011, 03:00 ET

NEW DELHI, May 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- As the planet prepares to celebrate World Environment Day on 5 June, earth experts with IEEE, the world's largest technical professional association, say much more should be done to improve the earth's vital signs, which include forest health, water cleanliness and availability, climate stability and habitat preservation. Managing the vastness of these challenges requires significant technical progress, they say, along with everyday behavior changes of people around the world.

"India is the host nation for World Environment Day this year, and the timing for a call to action could not be better," said Mr. Daman Dev Sood, IEEE Senior Member and Member of IEEE Delhi Section Executive Committee. "We face severe environmental challenges stemming from climate change, increasing population, and industrialization and urbanization that are leading to widespread deforestation. This year's theme, 'Forests: Nature at Your Service' highlights the need for conservation and sustainable use of forests, and sets benchmarks for India as the population and the economy continue to grow."

With nearly 26 years of experience in the industry, Sood is a strong advocate of green environmental movements in India. His activities have included promoting tree plantations, using social media to advance a cleaner environment, and running the Yahoo! Group "sustainableindia", where people can learn about and share ideas around environmental sustainability. Sood has also participated actively in Earth Day, Earth Hour and Environment Day activities.

"Sustainability isn't just for engineers and technical people, but for anyone who can use what is already available and support clean-technology, whether it's switching off lights when not in use or using star-rated energy-efficient home appliances," Sood said.

IEEE is encouraging the sharing of ideas on sustainable collaboration throughout the month of June in support of World Environment Day, an effort created by the United Nations Environmental Programme, to encourage everyone to become agents for change. Take the IEEE Green Your World Challenge, now live on facebook: www.facebook.com/IEEEGreenYourWorld.

Renewable energy expert Saifur Rahman, an IEEE Fellow and the Director of Energy and the Global Environment at Virginia Tech University, said sustainability means considering supply but also demand. "For example, if you run your building with 25 percent less energy, you are burning 25 percent less coal and thus reducing carbon emissions 25 percent," he said. "That's a big impact. Keep in mind wind energy today is only two percent of installed capacity and solar is only 0.2 percent. It's going to take many years for these technologies to start to play a big role. So, conservation is critical."

At the same time, Rahman notes that technology advancements continue to be dramatic. The price of solar panels has dropped 50 percent over just the last five months thanks to technology innovations, he said, and high-volume storage technologies like compressed-air energy storage are making it feasible to store solar and wind energy overnight.

Watch Rahman in this IEEE.tv video on wind energy: http://www.ieee.org/portal/ieeetv/viewer.html?progId=77479

As an organization, IEEE and its members are inspiring a global community to develop sustainable management practices, technologies and earth monitoring systems in ways that benefit humanity.

IEEE is a key member of the E4C (Engineering for Change) alliance, which provides a forum to connect, collaborate, solve challenges and share knowledge. Environmental topics include water, energy, sanitation and agriculture.
The IEEE Committee on Earth Observation publishes Earthzine (www.earthzine.org), an online source that includes sustainability coverage around climate, ecosystems, water and agriculture.
IEEE Spectrum (spectrum.ieee.org), the flagship publication of IEEE, includes regular green technology coverage on earth-friendly themes. Watch a narrated slideshow from IEEE Spectrum on improving the performance of energy efficient lighting: http://spectrum.ieee.org/slideshow/energy/environment/leaving-the-lights-on
Multiple Societies within IEEE; such as IEEE Oceanic Engineering, IEEE Photonics, IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing, and IEEE Power and Energy; are among the many groups within IEEE working to advance technologies to monitor and improve the health of the planet.

For more information on IEEE, or to speak with a member about IEEE's Sustainable Energy initiatives, please contact: [email protected].

About IEEE

IEEE, the world's largest technical professional association, is dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity. Through its highly cited publications, conferences, technology standards, and professional and educational activities, IEEE is the trusted voice on a wide variety of areas ranging from aerospace systems, computers and telecommunications to biomedical engineering, electric power and consumer electronics. Learn more: http://www.ieee.org.

SOURCE IEEE