Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
FIGURE 5
An Earth Systems Engineering schematic for the carbon cycle.
sibility for the functioning of a fundamental Earth system such as the car-
bon cycle do not yet exist. To urge immediate implementation of such an
Earth Systems Engineering program in its totality in the immediate future
would be irresponsible. On the other hand, it is also important to recognize
the need to begin developing the industrial ecology base and associated
framework for Earth Systems Engineering, which means that individual
projects—such as building experimental coal-fired plants that capture and
sequester their CO
2
—should be begun immediately to facilitate learning
and data acquisition. Moreover, it is necessary to support the R&D, the
public dialog, and the institutional development that are needed to support
the development of a capacity for Earth Systems Engineering. It bears
repeating that the question is not whether humanity is manipulating the
carbon cycle.The science clearly demonstrates that that question has already
been resolved de facto.The only question remaining is how responsibly the
species will perform that function—and industrial ecology, with its systems
approach and integrative perspective, will be an important part of the
answer.
