Engineer's Role in Environmental Issues

Oneof the biggest problems encountered by today's civil engineer, whether he is involved in public works or private development, is the lack of support given to many of his projects by the public. One does not have to look further than today's problems in power supply to see that organized opposition by groups of citizens can bring to a halt many engineering projects enthusiastically supported by members of the engineering profession. The most commonly cited reason for objecting to an engineering project is the damage to theenvironment that could be created by the project. The traditional problems of engineering havebeen concerned with providing the necessities and conveniences for growth. Civil engineering has been accused of being growth oriented at any cost.