If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix It?

To expound upon the subject of my SRP a bit more:

My purpose for this senior project is to investigate the human infrastructure that is necessary to our everyday lives, from power lines to waste management to water pipelines, to determine its impact on the environment, and to determine what can be done to reduce said impact. Modern infrastructure (such as electricity pylons, sewage, phone lines, etc) has only been around since the 19^th century, and while it has since grown in efficiency and number, it has not tremendously decreased in environmental obtrusiveness. Electricity lines still stretch across the landscape, and water treatment is still terribly inefficient.

 

 

My goal is to discover more about the engineering process and what exactly it entails, from the requirements of the client to the considerations of the engineer to the regulations of the government, and where the environment fits (or should fit) into all of it. In order to find out more about this topic, I will need to delve into both the historical record to determine the way infrastructure has been managed up until this point, and into current research to evaluate what new, but as of yet unused (or possibly used in only certain areas or to a limited extent), developments have been made in specific areas of infrastructure (power distribution, water treatment plants, wastewater processing plants, water well facilities, etc). I have already conducted research online in regards to the different types of infrastructure that exist, their current state, and their environmental impact. My internship location should help me resolve the area of my research that includes the involvement of the client, engineer, and government in how the landscape of municipal engineering projects is (or isn’t) changing. This is important in the grand scheme of things because “environmental impact” does not just necessarily mean one’s carbon footprint, greenhouse gas emissions, pollutant emissions, etc. It also entails what kind of physical damage is being done to the environment, particularly through human habitation and infrastructure. Loss of biodiversity and habitable environment is a serious concern, and by monitoring the impact of such human activity on the nature that exists around us, and by finding better ways to moderate it, we can ensure that it won’t go too quickly for the next generations to enjoy and preserve.