CONSENSUS STUDY REPORT
Environmental Engineering
for the 21st Century
Addressing Grand Challenges
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COMMITTEE ON THE GRAND CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING FOR THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY
Division on Earth and Life Studies
Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences
National Academy of Engineering
Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources
Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate
Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology
Board on Earth Sciences and Resources
Board on Energy and Environmental Systems (DEPS)
Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology
Board on Life Sciences
NAE Office of Programs
Ocean Studies Board
Water Science and Technology Board
A Consensus Study Report of
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
Washington, DC
www.nap.edu
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
This activity and material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 10002678, the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Biological and Environmental Research, under Award No. DE-SC0016218, and the California Delta Stewardship Council under California State Award No. 1725. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of any organization or agency that provided support for the project.
International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-47652-2
International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-47652-6
https://doi.org/10.17226/25121
Cover photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/IMWI
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Copyright 2019 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America
Suggested citation: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2019. Environmental Engineering for the 21st Century: Addressing Grand Challenges. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: https://doi.org/10.17226/25121.
The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) was established in 1863 by an Act of Congress, signed by President Lincoln, as a private, nongovernmental institution to advise the nation on issues related to science and technology. Members are elected by their peers for outstanding contributions to research. Dr. Marcia McNutt is president.
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Learn more about the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine at www.nationalacademies.org.
Consensus Study Reports published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine document the evidence-based consensus on the study’s statement of task by an authoring committee of experts. Reports typically include findings, conclusions, and recommendations based on information gathered by the committee and committee deliberations. Each report has been subjected to a rigorous and independent peer review process and it represents the position of the National Academies on the statement of task.
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COMMITTEE ON GRAND CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING FOR THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY
Domenico Grasso, Chair, University of Michigan, Dearborn
Craig H. Benson (NAE), University of Virginia, Charlottesville
Amanda Carrico, University of Colorado, Boulder
Kartik Chandran, Columbia University, New York City
G. Wayne Clough (NAE), Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta
John C. Crittenden (NAE), Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta
Daniel S. Greenbaum, Health Effects Institute, Boston, MA
Steven P. Hamburg, Environmental Defense Fund, Belmont, MA
Thomas C. Harmon, University of California, Merced
James M. Hughes (NAM), Emory University, Atlanta, GA
Kimberly L. Jones, Howard University, Washington DC
Linsey C. Marr, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg
Robert Perciasepe, Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, Arlington, VA
Stephen Polasky (NAS), University of Minnesota, St. Paul
Maxine L. Savitz (NAE), Honeywell, Inc. (retired), Los Angeles, CA
Norman R. Scott (NAE), Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
R. Rhodes Trussell (NAE), Trussell Technologies, Inc., Pasadena, CA
Julie B. Zimmerman, Yale University, New Haven, CT
NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES, ENGINEERING, AND MEDICINE STAFF
Stephanie E. Johnson, Study Director, Water Science and Technology Board
Nancy Huddleston, Communications Director, Division on Earth and Life Studies
Kara Laney, Senior Program Officer, Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources
Anne Johnson, Consultant Science Writer
Brendan R. McGovern, Research Assistant, Water Science and Technology Board
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PREFACE
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened a committee of prominent environmental engineers, scientists, and policy experts to identify grand challenges and opportunities in environmental engineering for the next several decades. The committee was also asked to describe how the field of environmental engineering and its aligned sciences might evolve to better address these needs. The study was sponsored by the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, and the Delta Stewardship Council (see Appendix A for the full statement of task).
Rather than focusing on specific environmental engineering challenges, the committee chose to identify the most pressing challenges of the 21st century for which the expertise of environmental engineering will be needed to help resolve or manage. The committee sought input from the scientific community, nongovernmental organizations, and the broader public and benefited from ideas produced from four prior Association of Environmental Engineering & Science Professors workshops on Grand Challenges.1 In total, over 450 ideas for grand challenges were submitted. This report identifies five broad and interconnected challenges that need to be addressed to ensure that people and ecosystems thrive. For each challenge, the committee discussed areas where knowledge and technological advances are needed and provided examples of potential roles for environmental engineers.
The study is modeled on the NAE Grand Challenges for Engineering, a 2008 study from the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) that identified 14 engineering challenges that, if achieved, have the potential to radically improve life on the planet. The NAE Grand Challenges cover health, sustainability, security, and joy of living, and several overlap with the challenges discussed here, including to provide access to clean water, develop carbon sequestration methods, make solar energy affordable, manage the nitrogen cycle, and restore and improve urban infrastructure. The NAE study and subsequent outreach efforts have inspired numerous educational initiatives, including the undergraduate NAE Grand Challenges Scholars Program aimed at creating engineers specially equipped to address 21st century challenges. The committee hopes that this study will help
produce substantive progress toward meeting the critical challenges of the 21st century through advances in environmental engineering education, research, and practice.
This Consensus Study Report was reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in making each published report as sound as possible and to ensure that it meets the institutional standards for quality, objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We thank the following individuals for their review of this report: Robert F. Breiman, NAM, Emory University; Paul R. Brown, Paul Redvers Brown Inc; Virginia Burkett, U.S. Geological Survey; Greg Characklis, University of North Carolina; Paul Ferrão, Technical University of Lisbon, Portugal; Peter Gleick, NAS, Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment, and Security; Patricia Holden, University of California, Santa Barbara; James H. Johnson Jr., Howard University; Michael C. Kavanaugh, NAE, Geosyntec Consultants; Daniele Lantagne, Tufts University; David Lobell, Stanford University, Al McGartland, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; James R. Mihelcic, University of South Florida; Patrick M. Reed, Cornell University; Jerry L. Schnoor, NAE, University of Iowa; Peter Schultz, ICF International; John Volckens, Colorado State University; Robyn S. Wilson, Ohio State University; and Yannis C. Yortsos, NAE, University of Southern California, Los Angeles.
Although the reviewers listed above provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations of this report nor did they see the final draft before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Chris Hendrickson, Carnegie Mellon University, and Jared Cohon, Carnegie Mellon University. They were responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with the standards of the National Academies and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content rests entirely with the authoring committee and the National Academies.
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1 See https://aeesp.org/nsf-aeesp-grand-challenges-workshops.
CONTENTS
Grand Challenge 1: Sustainably Supply Food, Water, and Energy
Grand Challenge 2: Curb Climate Change and Adapt to Its Impacts
Grand Challenge 3: Design a Future Without Pollution or Waste
Grand Challenge 4: Create Efficient, Healthy, Resilient Cities
Grand Challenge 5: Foster Informed Decisions and Actions
The Ultimate Challenge for Environmental Engineering: Preparing the Field to Address a New Future
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