Description:

Sustainability has become a sine qua non in the study and practice of engineering. This introductory textbook aims to make the concepts of sustainable engineering accessible to the undergraduate students of engineering. This will help them to keep in view the philosophy of sustainability while learning the core subjects of their specialisations and will equip them with a set of tools for this purpose.

In addition to providing a broad-based introduction to the idea of sustainability and its relevance, the book talks about environment-related legislation, air and water pollution, solid waste management, local and global environmental challenges, climate change and the steps taken at an international level to manage them. Tools used to ensure sustainability in engineering activities such as Environmental Management Systems (EMS) and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) are mentioned. Green buildings, green computing, green chemistry, sustainable cities, sustainable transportation, sustainable sources of energy, economic and social factors affecting sustainability including rapid urbanization and poverty are also covered. A set of questions, some of them quite open-ended, are added at the end of each chapter to help students test their understanding.

The reader is encouraged to use this book as a starting point to explore how the principles of sustainable engineering are relevant to their chosen branch of study and professional practice. The references given at the end of the book will serve as efficient guideposts in this journey which is well worth taking.