INNOVATION July-August 2017

l et ter s

Engineers Must Direct Efforts to Solar-based Power An engineer’s role is to guard against conditions which are dangerous or threatening to the environment. Equally as the medical profession is bound by Hippocratic Oath to do no harm, we the engineers are sworn to guard the environment and public from harm according to our Code of Ethics, Section 2 specifically. I believe that the issue of global warming requires our, the engineers, input into the polemics among politicians, economists, fossil fuel producers, meteorologist, and others. Actually, we are the only ones who can do the real applicable math: Power in = power out @ global temperature. The Sun provides us with about 1 kW/m², totaling about 128 PW to earth surface, which we, for the thermal balance at about 12°C, radiate out into the 3°K black sky. By using fossil fuels we are adding a significant amount of energy. Counting the global yearly production of coal, oil, and gas we can calculate per hour value as about 6.7 PW of added energy. This represents over 5% of solar gain, leading to about a 3°C temperature rise. This is a fact. By the logic, the only legitimate source of power for us is the Sun. The Sun’s power is abundant; it can cover all our energy needs. Any other energy source causes global warming. Therefore, it is essential for livability of our planet that we direct our efforts to replace the fossil fuels with solar based power (radiant, water, wind, hydrogen) immediately and passionately, if it is not too late already. Technology and know- how are already here, we only have to bring the message to our politicians, industry and economists, and also to some of our fellow scientists who still indulge in the developments of other non-solar energy sources. We, the engineers, have to provide the real data to our leaders, in a form simple enough to understand yet strongly enough to break through the apathy avoiding the need for change.

Letters to the editor containing your views on topics of interest are encouraged. Opinions expressed in letters are not necessarily endorsed by APEGBC. Letters should be 300 words or less and can be emailed to innovation@apeg.bc.ca. Find information at apeg.bc.ca/Submitting-to-Innovation.

AYEAR can CHANGE EVERYTHING

mel.ubc.ca

—Rudolf E. Marek, P. Eng., Energy

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