Is Climate Change a Science Problem or an Engineering Problem?
G. Wayne Clough
Secretary Emeritus of the Smithsonian Institution and President Emeritus of the Georgia Institute of Technology
ABSTRACT: In the shadow of the Great Depression, a group of courageous engineers built Hoover Dam, the Golden Gate Bridge, the New York City water tunnels, and skyscrapers. They created the technology they needed to solve problems others had never imagined. We need this kind of engineering leadership today to take on a new kind of problem: climate change. The solutions we need require not only technical skills, but an appreciation of the scientific complexities of the human and natural dimensions that come with it. Today’s issues call for practical, adaptable, small- and large-scale solutions. Engineering needs to step up to the challenge.
