LibGuides: Engineering Ethics: Environmental Ethics

Building Design

Over the past ten years, there has been a large push to develop sustainability standards for building design.

American Society of Civil Engineers - Sustainability
This web site discusses projects, programs, and guidelines adopted by the ASCE to promote sustainability in engineering.
U.S. Green Building Council
The U.S. Green Building Council is a non-profit community of leaders working to make green buildings available to everyone within a generation. One of the major standard-setting organizations in the United States, they are in charge of LEED, is an internationally recognized green building certification system.
The Athena Institute
The ATHENA EcoCalculator for Assemblies provides instant Life Cycle Assessment results for common building assemblies. It was commissioned by the Green Building Initiative in order to make LCA more accessible to the mainstream design community, and can be downloaded free of charge.
Sustainability in Architecture
A library guide developed by Architecture Librarian Kim Soss on sustainability in building design. Information on this guide will also be extremely helpful to civil engineers.
ATHENA EcoCalculator for Assemblies
The ATHENA EcoCalculator for Assemblies provides instant Life Cycle Assessment results for common building assemblies. It was commissioned by the Green Building Initiative in order to make LCA more accessible to the mainstream design community, and can be downloaded free of charge.

Engineering societies and projects working on humanitarian and social justice issues.

Engineers Without Borders
Engineers Without Borders - USA (EWB-USA) is a non-profit humanitarian organization established to partner with developing communities worldwide in order to improve their quality of life. This partnership involves the implementation of sustainable engineering projects, while involving and training internationally responsible engineers and engineering students. A local student hapter exists at IIT.
Habitat for Humanity
This group is extremely active in recruiting individuals of all background, including engineers, to build houses together in partnership with families in need. This group has been active in areas hit by natural disasters such as Haiti and New Orleans.

Resources on sustainable energy.

DSIREUSA.org/
DSIRE is a comprehensive source of information on state, local, utility, and federal incentives and policies that promote renewable energy and energy efficiency. Established in 1995 and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, DSIRE is an ongoing project of the N.C. Solar Center and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council.
DOE Renewable Energy
The U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy site promotes govenmental green initiatives.
Sustainable and Renewable Energy
A guide developed by the Engineering Librarian Charles Uth on sustainability.

Use this to highlight handbooks or core texts we have in print. The link below is an example from the Business guide.

Engineering, Ethics, and the Environment by P. Aarne Vesilind; Alastair S. Gunn
Call Number: CSEP.TA157.V421998
ISBN: 0521581125
Publication Date: 1998-02-13
Green Engineering by David R. Shonnard; David T. Allen
ISBN: 0130619086
Publication Date: 2001-09-06
For upper level undergraduate and graduate level Chemical Engineering courses in Pollution Prevention and Chemical Process Design that are offered to Chemical Engineering or Environmental Engineering students, as well as Practicing Chemical or Civil Engineers interested in finding ways to prevent pollution. Connects to electronic version of book.
Sustainable Design by Daniel A. Vallero; Chris Brasier
Call Number: BIEGLER.TH453.V352008
ISBN: 0470130628
Publication Date: 2008-04-25
Sustainable Energy System Engineering by Peter Gevorkian
Call Number: TJ808.G482007
ISBN: 0071473599
Publication Date: 2006-10-31
Socially Responsible Engineering by Daniel A. Vallero; P. Aarne Vesilind; John F. Ahearne (Foreword by)
Call Number: TD153.V342007
ISBN: 0471787078
Publication Date: 2006-09-11

The following is a list of all electronic resources that are relevant to engineering ethics.

For a list of all databases for all subjects, click here.

Philsopher's Index
Citations from all areas of philosophy, including engineering ethics. Extremely helpful for articles focusing on the moral aspects of engineering practice.
IEEE Xplore
Search for ethics-related articles and conference papers in the areas of electrical engineering and computer science.

GreenFILE
GreenFILE offers information covering all aspects of human impact to the environment. Its collection of scholarly, government and general-interest titles includes content on global warming, green building, pollution, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy and recycling.

Web of Science
One of the world's leading literature sources in the sciences, social sciences, biology, arts and humanities.

Interested in more information? Click here to see a bibliography on engineering, environmental ethics, and sustainability.