Transition Engineers
Every time a new problem, challenge or opportunity arises, a new field of engineering emerges to provide solutions, manage the risks, and deliver the benefits derived from applying science, mathematics and the arts of creative problem solving.
Mission
The mission of Transition Engineers is to effectively manage the risks of un-sustainable resource use and environmental impacts by implementing changes and adaptations in existing engineered systems.
One important aspect of the foundation of the field will include establishment of multidisciplinary Transition Engineering standards for all disciplines, developed by engineers, based on scientific research, knowledge and experience.
The First Standard: All operations and processes that consume fossil fuels will be audited and monitoring established. An action plan will be developed to achieve 10% fossil fuel consumption reduction in the near-term (12 months), and 80% fossil fuel demand reduction through adaptation over the long-term (40 years).
When the mission of the ISTE has been accomplished, sustainability will be considered in all design and development work in all engineering disciplines, the public will expect sustainability standards to be followed, government regulation will require a long-term sustainability assessment, and a new profession of specialist Transition Engineers will provide strategic analysis of adaptive options using a whole-system perspective of up-stream solutions. The ISTE will bee successful when 15,000 specialist practitioners and trainers are assisting all types of companies and organizations to adapt to 80% fossil fuel demand reduction by 2050. On the 25th anniversary of the founding of the ISTE, Transition Engineering will be a recognized field, taught as a fundamental requisite in professional engineering degrees, in high demand by business and government, and will be responsible for a 50% reduction in fossil fuel use with vast improvements in public health, environmental quality and business prosperity.
Objectives
- Mount a successful campaign to bring the concept of Transition Engineering into the public and professional lexicon
- Establish the first standard for Transition Engineering and have it adopted by all international professional engineering organisations
- Develop the governance and membership structure and establish the International Society of Transition Engineers
- Establish a financial structure to support innovation, research, development and dissemination of Transition Engineering practice
- Establish a magazine that documents and disseminates successful and profitable achievement of the first standard
- Hold an international "no travel" conference to showcase experience with achieving the first standard
- Document and produce a media campaign to explain the progress, benefits, and prosperity derived from Transition Engineering