An Introduction to Environmental Engineering

Summary

The video highlights the impact of environmental engineering on understanding the world, integrating civil, chemical, and biological disciplines to address environmental issues like climate change, water quality, and air pollution. Students and professors from the University of British Columbia (UBC) share their passion for protecting natural spaces and working towards sustainable practices. They emphasize hands-on experience through co-op programs, fieldwork, and industry partnerships, fostering a sense of community among peers. The program empowers aspiring environmental engineers to make meaningful changes in society, promoting skills that directly contribute to solving critical environmental challenges.

Takeaways

• 🌍 Environmental engineering has reshaped how individuals perceive their environmental, social, and economic impact.
• 🏞️ A passion for the outdoors often drives individuals towards environmental engineering, fostering a desire to protect natural spaces.
• 💡 Environmental engineering integrates principles from civil, chemical, and biological engineering, focusing on sustainability and environmental issues.
• 👩‍🏫 Professors Greg Lawrence and Majid Mosamir co-direct the program, offering expertise in fields like environmental fluid mechanics.
• 🌱 Many societal challenges, such as climate change, air quality, and clean water, require the specialized skills of environmental engineers.
• 🏢 The program includes a co-op component, providing students with industry experience and networking opportunities with professionals in the field.
• 🌊 Students gain hands-on experience during their co-ops, like working with Environment and Climate Change Canada during natural disasters such as floods.
• 🚁 Field work, such as drone reforestation projects, allows students to apply their knowledge to real-world environmental issues like carbon emissions and sequestration.
• 👥 Small class sizes foster a close-knit community where students form lasting relationships and collaborate effectively on group projects.
• 🎓 The program's community-centric approach helps students build a strong professional network that can support them in their careers long after graduation.

Q & A

What has environmental engineering changed in the perspective of the speaker?

Environmental engineering has changed the speaker's thinking about their impact on the world, particularly in relation to the environment and its interaction with social and economic structures.

Why is the speaker drawn to environmental engineering?

The speaker is drawn to environmental engineering due to their love for the outdoors and a strong desire to protect natural spaces.

How does environmental engineering integrate with other engineering disciplines?

Environmental engineering integrates with other disciplines like civil and chemical engineering by adopting more environmentally friendly practices.

What is the role of Greg Lawrence in the environmental engineering program at UBC?

Greg Lawrence is a professor in the department of civil engineering at UBC, specializing in environmental fluid mechanics, and co-director of the environmental engineering program.

What is the focus of Majid Mosamir's work in the environmental engineering department?

Majid Mosamir is a professor in the department of chemical and biological engineering, focusing on environmental issues and challenges that society faces.

How does the environmental engineering program at UBC prepare students for industry?

The program prepares students through a combination of courses focusing on environmental issues, co-op programs, and maintaining relationships with industry partners who are part of the Advisory Group.

What was Ben's Co-op experience with Environment and Climate Change Canada?

Ben worked on measuring flow rates of rivers during the 2021 November floods in BC, which involved field work in Merit and Princeton to inform decision-makers during the floods.

How did Abby Taylor's Co-op experience contribute to environmental engineering?

Abby worked with a drone reforestation company, conducting plant science experiments and field work, focusing on carbon emissions and sequestration.

What advantages does the small class size in the environmental engineering program offer?

The small class size allows students to build a strong community, know each other well, and effectively work together, which is beneficial for their future industry connections.

Why is it important to build relationships with classmates in the environmental engineering program according to Victor Pham?

Victor Pham believes it's important because classmates not only collaborate on projects but may also become industry colleagues in the future.

How does the environmental engineering program at UBC support students' aspirations to make a change in the world?

The program provides students with the knowledge and skills to address environmental challenges, enabling them to fulfill their dreams of making a positive impact on the world.

Outlines

00:00

🌿 Environmental Engineering's Impact on Worldview

Chris, a third-year environmental engineering student at UBC, shares how the field has influenced his perspective on his impact on the world, particularly concerning the environment and its interplay with social and economic structures. He expresses a deep appreciation for natural spaces and a strong desire to protect them, which has drawn him to environmental engineering. The discipline is described as an integration of civil, chemical, and biological engineering courses focusing on environmental issues. Greg Lawrence and Majid Mosamir, professors at UBC, emphasize the program's comprehensive approach to environmental challenges such as climate change, clean water, and air quality. They also highlight the program's co-op opportunities, which connect students with industry partners and the Advisory Group, fostering a strong relationship between academic learning and real-world applications.

Keywords

💡Environmental Engineering

Environmental Engineering is a branch of engineering that focuses on the development of solutions to environmental problems, such as pollution and waste management. In the video, it is central to the theme as it represents the field of study for the students and professors at UBC. The script mentions how environmental engineering combines courses from civil, chemical, and biological engineering to address environmental issues, reflecting its interdisciplinary nature.

💡Impact on the World

The term 'impact on the world' refers to the effects or influence one has on the planet, particularly in terms of environmental, social, and economic structures. In the context of the video, Chris, a student, discusses how environmental engineering has changed his perspective on his personal impact, highlighting a desire to protect natural spaces and contribute positively to the environment.

💡Outdoors and Natural Spaces

The 'outdoors' and 'natural spaces' are terms that refer to the external environment, including wilderness areas, parks, and other non-built environments. The script emphasizes the appreciation for these spaces as a driving force for students to pursue environmental engineering. It is mentioned that Chris's time spent in the outdoors has led to a deep desire to protect these areas.

💡Environmental Fluid Mechanics

Environmental Fluid Mechanics is a sub-discipline of environmental engineering that studies the movement of fluids (like water and air) in the environment. Greg Lawrence, a professor at UBC, specializes in this field. The script mentions his role in co-directing the environmental engineering program, indicating its importance in understanding and addressing environmental challenges.

💡Co-op Program

A 'Co-op Program' is a form of work-integrated learning where students alternate between periods of academic study and paid employment in their field of study. The script highlights the Co-op Program as an opportunity for students to apply their knowledge in real-world settings, such as Ben's work with Environment and Climate Change Canada, which allowed him to measure river flow rates during floods.

💡Climate Change

Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns, primarily due to human activities. It is mentioned in the script as one of the societal challenges that environmental engineers are equipped to address. The video underscores the relevance of environmental engineering in tackling this global issue.

💡Clean Water and Sanitation

Clean water and sanitation are essential components of public health and environmental sustainability. The script mentions these as areas of concern that environmental engineers work on, emphasizing the field's role in ensuring access to clean water and proper waste management systems.

💡Air Quality

Air quality pertains to the measurement of pollutants in the air and the management of air pollution. In the video, air quality is cited as another environmental issue that environmental engineers focus on, showcasing the breadth of challenges they address, from local to global scales.

💡Community and Cohorts

A 'community' in this context refers to a group of people with shared interests or goals, while 'cohorts' are groups of students who progress through a program together. The script emphasizes the small class sizes and cohorts as fostering a strong sense of community among students, which is beneficial for their professional networks and support systems.

💡Reforestation

Reforestation is the process of replanting trees in areas where they have been cut down. Abby Taylor, a student, worked with a drone reforestation company, which is an innovative approach to this process. The script illustrates how environmental engineering students engage with cutting-edge technologies to address environmental challenges like carbon emissions and sequestration.

💡Aspiration to Make a Change

The 'aspiration to make a change' reflects the motivation of individuals to contribute positively to the world. The video concludes with the idea that environmental engineering provides a pathway for students to realize their dreams of making a difference, whether through traditional engineering practices or innovative solutions.

Highlights

Environmental engineering has evolved to consider environmental, social, and economic impacts.

Chris's passion for the outdoors and desire to protect natural spaces led him to environmental engineering.

Engineering disciplines are moving towards environmentally friendly practices.

Environmental engineering encompasses courses from civil, chemical, and biological engineering focusing on environmental issues.

Greg Lawrence specializes in environmental fluid mechanics and co-directs the environmental engineering program at UBC.

Majid Mosamir highlights the societal challenges related to the environment that environmental engineers address.

Students have the opportunity to participate in co-op programs, connecting them with industry partners.

Ben's co-op experience involved measuring river flow rates during floods, contributing to decision-making.

Abby Taylor worked with a drone reforestation company, focusing on plant science and field work.

Small cohorts and class sizes foster a strong community and sense of belonging among students.

Victor Pham emphasizes the importance of knowing teammates for future industry collaboration.

The environmental engineering community is united by shared interests, making connections easy.

Group projects in the program are seen as opportunities to build relationships for the future.

Environmental engineering provides a path for those who aspire to make a positive change in the world.

Transcripts

environmental engineering has changed

how I think about my impact on the world

specifically in relation to the

environment but also to social

structures and economic structures that

we deal with the main thing that kind of

has drawn me to environmental

engineering is the fact that I've spent

a lot of my life

in and around the outdoors and that has

kind of led me to have a super great

appreciation for the natural spaces that

surround us and a really big desire to

protect them a lot of the engineering

disciplines like civil engineering or

chemical engineering all of them are

moving towards like more environmentally

friendly practices and environmental

engineering just covers all of that my

name is Chris and I am a third year

environmental engineering student at UBC

the environmental engineering program is

basically a combination of those courses

within civil engineering and within

chemical and biological engineering that

focus on environmental issues and topics

my name is Greg Lawrence

I'm a professor in the department of

civil engineering here at UBC

and my specialty is in the field of

environmental fluid mechanics

and together with Majid I'm one of the

co-directors of this program my name is

Majid mosamir I'm a professor here at

the department of chemical and

biological engineering many of our

society's challenges have to do

something with the environment whether

it's climate change whether it's clean

water and sanitation whether it's air

quality so those requires skill sets

that are environmental Engineers have

now of course our students will have the

opportunity to go through the co-op

programs many of those employers of the

co-op students are also the ones that

are part of The Advisory Group for our

our program so the relationship with

industry is embedded within the program

my name is Ben and I'm a third year

environmental engineering student for my

Co-op I worked with environment and

climate change Canada measuring the flow

rates of rivers during the 2021 November

floods in BC which was very exciting so

I got to go to both Merit and Princeton

and do some field work to try to

determine what the flow rates were of

the rivers that helped informed decision

makers they should do during the floods

that really gave me a good opportunity

to kind of expand my field work skills

and apply a lot of the knowledge I've

learned in school I'm Abby Taylor I'm in

my third year of environmental

engineering here at UBC last year I

worked with a drone reforestation

company doing kind of plant science

experiments and

field work as well involved with that I

think it's super important to focus on

things like that that can be scaled and

can have a big impact in terms of carbon

emissions and carbon sequestration the

small cohorts and a small class size

allows the students to know each other

quite well and work well with one

another quite effectively but also it

helps them to build the community that

really is to their advantage when they

graduate they all go through the program

and that sense of belonging and the

community is one of the great features

of the program my name is Victor Pham

and I am a third year environmental

engineering student at UBC so I really

think that in order to be successful in

this program you have to get to know

your teammates pretty well so group

projects things like that not only are

they your teammates for the project but

they will be your people in Industry as

well 20 years down the road you'll be

working with the same people

um I really like the environmental

engineering community

um I think it's just through the nature

of everyone having similar interests

it's easy to connect with people because

everyone has such similar interests and

every group project I've done I've had

nothing but good experiences so far if

someone has the aspiration has the

desire to make a change in the world

environmental engineering gives them the

opportunity to actually fulfill that

dream