Environmental Challenge for Engineers: Hong Kong Perspective

Oriental philosophies relate to an essentially rural society, and in consequence the attitude of Asian societies to the environment has previously been one of conservation or sustainable development. However, over the course of history, the introduction of modernization and economic development, at an accelerating pace, has brought about a series of revolutions that have changed this attitude to one of economic and social need; this has led to the environmental challenge and the need for an environmental revolution. In response to this challenge, engineers of all disciplines must take stock. Engineers are fundamentally practical people whose attitudes and training have traditionally been directed toward serving society's immediate needs. They must now look at the wider implications and long-term consequences of their works. The learned societies and institutions to which engineers are affiliated must take the lead by laying down environmental codes of conduct and encouraging engineers to protect environment rather than seek to dominate nature, as has traditionally been the case. This paper investigates these aspects and, more generally, the effect of variation in expectation due to ethnic origin.