What’s Past Is No Longer Prologue

Extreme weather events and climate conditions continue to worsen, products of a warming planet and consequences of our fossil fuel-based economy. Ready or not, civil engineering is about to get a major overhaul, one that will visit every aspect of this engineering discipline related to climate. Other engineering disciplines, chemical, mechanical, electrical, or any group that works in the built environment, are not exempt. The driver is global warming. Engineering standards and practices have not kept pace with changing climate conditions. Consequently, civil engineers face a serious dilemma and professional risk. Ethically and morally, civil engineers are responsible for protecting public health, safety, and welfare. For civil engineers and, for that matter, all engineers and scientists working in the built environment, the challenge of achieving net-zero carbon and adapting to changing climate conditions represents the opportunity of a lifetime.