Education for sustainability: a report card on engineering

摘要

The results of a study undertaken to determine how much engineering students learn about the way technology influences human life, society, and nature and to what extent the knowledge is used to adjust engineering methods and approaches to achieve a greater compatibility with these contexts are presented. The results suggest that the next generation of engineers is not in a good position to make a significant contribution to the development of a more sustainable way of life by substantially reducing negative impacts. The implementation of a technology policy and research strategy designed to explore the possibilities of preventive engineering that could lead to healthier social and natural ecologies, a stronger economy, more jobs, and a more sustainable way of life is discussed, and examples of such implementations are presented.