UNEFM TECNOLOGIA INGLES II

1. Universidad Nacional Experimental
“Francisco De Miranda”
Aprendizaje Dialógico Interactivo
Programa Ingeniería Civil y Química
U.C: Inglés Instrumental II
Parcial II
Date:____________________
Names: _______________________________________________________________________________
MAXIMO 2 PERSONAS
Earth Systems Engineering
In the past five years, a new, promising concept called earth systems engineering (ESE) has emerged as an
alternative to the usual way engineering has looked at the world. ESE acknowledges the complexity of
world problems and encourages the use of more holistic and systemic tools to address interactions between
the anthrosphere (i.e., the part of the environment made and modified by humans and used for their
activities) and natural and cultural systems.
In 1998, Allenby (1998) introduced the concept of ESE with reference to industrial ecology. The latter is
defined as "the multidisciplinary study of industrial systems and economic activities, and their links to
fundamental natural systems" (Allenby, 1999). First proposed in Japan in 1970, industrial ecology was
brought to the attention of people in the United States in the late 1980s and 1990s through several studies by
the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) on the relationship between engineering and ecological
systems. Industrial ecology was also the subject of two Gordon Conferences in 1998 and 2000 at Colby-
Sawyer College in New London, New Hampshire.
The success of industrial ecology, along with the recommendations in Our Common Journey, a report
prepared by the National Research Council Board on Sustainable Development (NRC, 1999), motivated
NAE to organize a one-day meeting on ESE on October 24, 2000 (NAE, 2002). In that meeting, and in the
exploratory workshop that preceded it, the following working definition of ESE was adopted:
ESE is a multidisciplinary (engineering, science, social science, and governance) process of solution
development that takes a holistic view of natural and human system interactions. The goal of ESE is to
better understand complex, nonlinear systems of global importance and to develop the tools necessary to
implement that understanding.
ESE acknowledges that, so far, humans have demonstrated a limited understanding of the dynamic
interactions between natural and human (non-natural) systems. This is partly attributable to the complexity
of the problems at stake. On one hand, natural sys-tems are traditionally nonlinear, chaotic, and open
dissipative systems characterized by interconnectedness and self-organization. Small changes in parts of
natural systems can have a big impact on their response to disturbances. On the other hand, human
(anthropogenic) systems are based on a more predictable Cartesian mindset.
Understanding the relationship between natural and non-natural systems remains a challenge. We do not yet
have the tools and metrics to comprehend and quantify complex systems and their interactions. According to
Dietrich Dörner (1996), this is one of the many reasons technology often fails. Other reasons cited by
Dörner include the slowness of human thinking in absorbing new material and human self-protection
through control. According to Dörner: "We have been turned loose in the industrial age equipped with the
brain of prehistoric times."
In 2001, I co-organized a three-day workshop at the University of Colorado at Boulder on ESE sponsored by
the National Science Foundation. The workshop brought together about 90 industry, government, and

2. university participants from engineering, physical sciences, biological sciences, and social sciences. The
overall goals of the workshop were: (1) to provide an intellectual framework for interdisciplinary exchange;
(2) to make recommendations for changes to engineering education, research, and practice that would
further the understanding of the interactions between natural and non-natural systems at multiple scales,
from local to regional and global; and (3) to create a plan of action to implement the recommendations.
More specifically, the workshop addressed the interactions of natural systems with the built environment.
The workshop participants unanimously adopted the following definition of the "engineer of the future":
The engineer of the future applies scientific analysis and holistic synthesis to develop sustainable solutions
that integrate social, environmental, cultural, and economic systems.
The workshop participants also recommended the adoption of a transformative model of engineering
education and practice for the twenty-first century that (University of Colorado, 2001):
 unleashes the human mind and spirit for creativity and compassion
 expands engineers’ professional and personal commitments to include both technical and
nontechnical disciplines
 inspires engineers to embrace the principles of sustainable development, renewable resources
management, appropriate technology, and systems thinking
 prepares engineers for social, economic, and environmental stewardships
Since 2001, ESE has been endorsed as a major initiative in the College of Engineering at the University of
Colorado at Boulder. An example of the application of ESE to engineering for the developing world is
presented below.
1. Elabora un esquema en español del texto. (8 ptos)
2. ¿Qué es Earth Systems Engineering o ESE? (4 ptos)
3. ¿De qué manera crees que la ecología industrial ayudaría en el campo de tu futura profesión?
(4 ptos)
4. Da tu propio concepto del Ingeniero del Futuro. (4 ptos)