The duty of engineering to the environment

Engineers are involved in every aspect of environmental protection and pollution prevention. Often, however, they are not allowed to fully apply their talents to these tasks. A primary reason is that engineers are too often placed in the position of being hired help rather than operating from their own professional standards regarding protection of the environment. This problem is evident during litigation involving engineers who have carried out tasks that adversely affected the environment. Frequently, engineers working for the victims will demonstrate that relatively simple steps could have been taken to prevent the problem. When questioned, however, the engineers who performed the work invariably say they did not follow an alternative course of action because they were doing only the work they were hired to do. Engineers have a particular responsibility when it comes to environmental protection because such protection is so vitally dependent upon the unfettered exercise of engineering skills.