The title of the session, “Green Engineering, Sustainability and Its Impact on Design and Engineering,” evokes a range of opinions based upon personal experience, so the panelists opened with introductions and remarks about what Green means today. The Q&A based discussion covered a range of topics including cradle-to-grave design, policy & standards, US competitiveness, business drivers and, of course, money.

We polled the audience throughout the session to determine corporate expectations and priorities with respect to sustainability. When asked, “how important is sustainability for your organization/company,” 16% of attendees indicated top priority, 28% indicated very important and 35% indicated important.

One of my favorite quotes is by Margaret Mead, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”  Yes, it’s a bit altruistic, but it’s true and inspiring. Often change is made by an individual, not a company. Grass roots efforts will likely continue to lead sustainability initiatives. Companies and respective leaders want to understand the economic viability of “green.”  We can all take a role in that educational/learning process. This includes collaborating with peers and colleagues to share knowledge.

On the topic of economic viability, one example discussed during the session was the availability of green cleaning products. Until people vote with their dollars and buy green products, why would a company drop a profitable and established product line? They would not.

We all have the opportunity to make responsible decisions and lead initiatives. The current economy is driving a “less is more spirit” and innovation.  With information people make better decisions. Before I knew about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, I didn’t think much about using plastic grocery bags or water bottles. Now when asked “paper or plastic,” I cringe. Yes, I still use plastic bags and drink bottles of water, but I also recycle and use less when I can. Ignorance is bliss.

In many ways, California is positioned to lead with environmental initiatives- not just on the consumer level. Is the conversation different in other cities/states? What are you working on?

For those not able to join us in sunny southern CA, we recorded the session and will make segments available online shortly. We hope you will continue to engage in the discussion of sustainability. Keep in mind, we offer a wealth of information in our Sustainable Energy and Development subject area. That should get you started.