50 Years of Earth Day! - How Environmental Engineers are helping the planet Vol.6 #15

Our Posterity = Our Children

Enhancing our children's S.T.E.A.M education is imperative to their success and will help them become innovators of the future.

S.T.E.A.M stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math.

Hands-on activities help us to cognitively and visually see how things work. By creating things with our hands, we can understand and appreciate the importance of their existence. We can also become better at:

Brainstorming

Creativity

Critical Thinking

Independent Thinking

Problem Solving

Teamwork

Earth Day

2020

Today we are celebrating 50 years since 20 million Americans gathered together to have a serious discussion about the declining health of the planet. Today, over 200 million people in 141 countries are taking part in Earth Day. Their aim is to bring awareness and discuss solutions about how we can keep our Earth in the best shape possible.

Theme

This year's theme is "climate action". According to Earthday.org, "Climate change represents the biggest challenge to the future of humanity and the life-support systems that make our world habitable."

What are Engineers doing

The preservation of the Earth's environment is important for the planet's survival for future generations to live, thrive, and enjoy. Environmental engineers use engineering skills and principles of biology, chemistry, and soil science to improve things like water and air pollution, recycling, reusing, and waste disposal. Here are some ways they are succeeding:

Improving clean water and sanitation
Reducing toxic gas emissions
Designing structures that help reduce heating and cooling costs
Designing and using robots to help them

What about Robots?

Scientists and engineers are using robots to help in the fight to make our planet a little greener. Though some of these are prototypes, it is the start of something that our children will hopefully be able to improve upon in the very near future.

Robots Eat Water Pollution: Australians have developed the "Rob-Bot." This robot is designed to cruise the ocean and eat tiny microbes that are polluting the water and then turn it into energy. The hope is that this robot will eliminate chemicals that are polluting our waters.

Exploration Robots: These robots have the ability to get to places that is impossible for humans. One example is Ocean One. Standford's humanoid maneuvers through the water like a human diver. This bot does this with the help of a team above the surface. The concept was developed by the need to study coral reefs in the Red Sea. Their hope is that Ocean One will be able to help maintain ocean pipelines as well as helping to clean our oceans.

Harvesting robots: These robots are designed to help in the agricultural field. The idea is to help reduce energy and fuel consumption. Some of these machines are designed to till the land, plant seeds, and even prune grapes!

Personal mobility vehicles: These vehicles are designed to take a person longer than a few blocks. You can make a trip to the grocery store or to your favorite coffee shop.

For more information on these robots and more visit Spectrum.1eee.org and the Ozobot.com websites!

It is so important that we teach our children to be conscious of how we live every day. Here are four simple principles that you can teach your children that will benefit themselves and the planet:

Recycling: I know some may think that this is a practice that many people

do every day, but in reality that are still many communities that do not recycle.

Conservation: This is as simple as turning off a light or fan when leaving the room or turning the water off when brushing your teeth or washing your hands.

Walking or biking: Instead of driving a car to get to wherever you're going, walk or ride your bicycle to the park or friend's house.

Reusing: Clean out and keep glass jars for uses such as storage containers or drinking glasses.

Science

Technology

Engineering Activities

Art

Math