1st Edition

Engineering Sustainable Life on Earth Alleviating Adverse Climate Change Through Better Design

By John Coplin Copyright 2022
    198 Pages 40 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    198 Pages 40 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    Climate scientists have clarified the main causes of climate change, and the tight timescale within which humans must change behaviour, and implement effective solutions, wherever they are needed across the world. This book uncovers many of the powerful actions and uses them effectively to achieve sustainable human life, of improved quality, in a way that is affordable out of earned income for all humans, wherever they live.

    The ultimate solution to climate change lies not just in doing and consuming less but does instead entirely revolve around our ability to "out innovate" the problem. John F. Coplin, CBE, FREng, FCGI, has had a long and distinguished career in engineering and has operated and advised at all levels from heads of state, company chairs, engineering directors, government advisory boards, and on the shop floor. He is perfectly placed to take a wide-ranging approach, applying modern design and innovative engineering at a systemic level in order to provide novel approaches that will have far-reaching impact on reversing humankind’s impact on this planet. His projections and solutions are based on facts, reasonable calculations, and science learnt from nature. Unafraid to challenge current thinking, John looks at solutions across multiple sectors, including aviation, cars and domestic local transport, clean and renewable energy, food and agriculture, and housing and communities, and describes the particular potential of hydrogen as fuel.

    The book is written in a language for all. It is small enough to be used is a practical guide to where some of the most useful improvements are to be found and as a way to start  important conversations.

    Foreword
    Part I: The Big Reset
    1. Engineering Extinction?
    2. Why Design Engineering?
    3. How Did We Get Here? The Legacy of the Industrial Revolution
    4. The Technology Revolution
    Part II: Clean Energy
    5. Energy Storage Systems
    6. Renewables
    7. (Decentralised) Nuclear Power
    8. Building a Clean Grid
    Part III: Transport
    9. Cars
    10. Commercial Aviation
    Part IV: Food and Agriculture
    11. Food
    12. Farming and Agriculture
    Part V: Homes and Housing
    13. Urbanisation vs Dispersed Communities
    Part VI: Unheeded Warnings and Critical Actions
    14. Unheeded Warnings
    15. Critical Actions
    Acknowledgements

    Biography

    John F. Coplin, aeronautical engineer, chief designer of Rolls-Royce’s RB211 aeroengine. During the 1990s, he was UK science and technology advisor to the Indonesian President. Previously a visiting professor on engineering design to Oxford University and Imperial College and Associate Fellow in Design Engineering at the University of Warwick.

    "John Coplin’s pedigree is perfect for this timely, important book: a masterly analysis of the climate change problems the world must address; a series of powerful arguments for a convincing array of solutions based on a design engineering approach: a textbook for post-COP 26 work by the UK and globally. A well-grounded, successful and renowned aeronautical engineer and polymath, John Coplin employs his wider scientific skills, international experience, deep and broad thinking, the vision all these elements inspire, and clear logic to argue, explain and quantify ways forward to limit significantly the adverse effects of climate change, and provide better and sustainable ways of living on this planet."

    Sir Roger Carrick, former British High Commissioner and Ambassador