Category Archives: Environmental Engineer

Environmental Engineer

Environmental Engineering and GIS

Environmental Engineering and GIS
Geographic Information Systems/Science or GIS is becoming, if it is not already, a vital tool for the environmental sciences. It is more than a simple digital evolution from cartography to IT based geographic data and digital mapping offers enormous benefits to research, engineering, project management and resource allocation. Useful in the private and public sector,…
Read more

Why Environmental Engineering Is Vital for Our Future

Why Environmental Engineering Is Vital for Our Future
Humanity has always engineered the environment around us. From the earliest days of wetland drainage and the need to acquire fresh water, to keep it flowing and keep it clean enough to drink, building cesspits to take away our waste and to stop pollution of vital waterways, we have always strived to maximize our sanitation…
Read more

Wind Power 101

Wind Power 101
Modern wind power is a recent development based on a very old technology. The wind has propelled sail boats for at least 5000 years, and turned windmills for perhaps 1500 years. Even the concept of generating electricity with wind power dates back to the first successful attempt in the late 1800s. But aside from the…
Read more

Natural Gas 101: Pros & Cons

Natural Gas 101: Pros & Cons
Natural gas is a fossil fuel, like oil and coal. It’s formed from decayed organic material transformed by high temperatures and pressures over millions of years into bubbles of methane gas. Conventional sources are found in underground gas fields or oil fields. Unconventional sources are more challenging to extract because the gas is locked inside…
Read more

Hydroelectric Power 101

Hydroelectric Power 101
Hydroelectric power uses the kinetic energy of moving water to produce electricity. It's the most widely used form of renewable energy, generating 19% of electricity worldwide (1). While large-scale projects have had mixed results in the developing world, when done properly, hydroelectric is a cheap, clean and effective method of producing energy. Hydroelectric Methods Most…
Read more

How Does Radiocarbon-14 Dating Work?

How Does Radiocarbon-14 Dating Work?
What is Radiocarbon Dating? Radiocarbon dating is a method of what is known as “Absolute Dating”. Despite the name, it does not give an absolute date of organic material – but an approximate age, usually within a range of a few years either way. The other method is “Relative Dating” which gives an order of…
Read more

Is Environmental Science Really a Good Major?

Is Environmental Science Really a Good Major?
Is Environmental Science Really a Good Major? Imagine your family has been asking for years what you will specialize in when you go to college and you have just decided to change from “undeclared” to environmental science”. Will you be met with blank stares, head shakes, or grumbles about “you’ll never do anything good with…
Read more

What We Wish We Had Known before Majoring in Environmental Science

What We Wish We Had Known before Majoring in Environmental Science
If given the chance to do it all over again, a small group of Environmental Science majors were asked what they wish they had known before they started.  The list may surprise you!  Some themes were more common than others, but you should find some helpful hints! Take Your Chemistry Classes Seriously Chemistry is everywhere! …
Read more