Transition Engineering: Building a Sustainable Future

by Susan Krumdieck

Transition Building a Sustainable Future examines new strategies emerging in response to the mega-issues of global climate change, decline in world oil supply, scarcity of key industrial minerals, and local environmental constraints. These issues pose challenges for organizations, businesses, and communities, and engineers will need to begin developing ideas and projects to implement the transition of engineered systems. This work presents a methodology for shifting away from unsustainable activities. Teaching the Transition Engineering approach and methodology is the focus of the text, and the concept is presented in a way that engineers can begin applying it in their work. The Open Access version of this book, available at , has been made available under a Creative Commons [Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND)] 4.0 license.

230 pages, Paperback

Published September 30, 2019

Reviews

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

For the engineer, urban planner, futurist - this book proves through engineering systems analysis that even with full implementation of renewable or sustainable energy sources, we will not produce enough power without petroleum products to meet our CURRENT needs. Therefore, we must find ways to reduce our use. The author, the worldwide leader in the emerging Transition Engineering discipline, explains an approach to identifying, analyzing, and implementing paradigm-shifting projects that will get us from here to there. Similar to the Engineering Design Method, but with the additional step of visioning the future and past of a system, the method guides engineers in leading stake-holders to break free of the constraints of current methods and creating comfortable but sustainable solutions to replace our carbon-heavy practices. Clearly written with implemented and historical examples to illustrate concepts, the book is a combination of higher level discussion and analysis of the problem of non-sustainability and the "wicked problems" of our technological world with practical analytic and team-building tools with which to solve them.

[Brian Neihoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting look into the feasibility of renewables and the current energy challenges that we as a species face. I think anyone interested in renewable resources (wind, solar, hydro) should read this book before speaking on the subject.

[Doug · Rating 5 out of 5]

a great book, the author presents a pragmatic analysis of our route to a sustainable future.

[Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well explained engineering challenge with climate crisis. Requires system thinking beyond just get engineering. Tested approach to engineering to meet realities if climate crisis

[Dan Jolly · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first book in what is a new and hopefully will become rapidly growing field of engineering. In the same way that engineers contributed to the rise of oil, this book provides a methodology to guide future conscious engineers in a way to de-carbonize our local areas. The value of such a book cannot be understated. Susan's book proposes a new economics which incorporate all the energy costs, working out the Energy Return On Investment (EROI). This full accounting for energy both during construction, as well as during lifetime makes it is easy to see if certain types of renewable generation are reasonable solutions, or technical flights of fancy. The Susan sets out a rigorous methodology based on looking to the past for previous methods, as well as projecting into the future to estimate how society could achieve similar objectives in 100 years time on much lower energy budgets.

Overall a very easy and non technical book to read. Recommended for anyone interested in how were get from aspirations to reduce carbon to actual reductions.

[Fiona VP · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic resource for those wanting to get un-stuck from the Business-As-Usual, and discover the real value creation in carbon downshift. This book provides practical methodologies and insights to prepare engineers and others in influential roles to contribute to the transition of all current systems and operations. It is the best most practical sustainability text book I have seen.

[Blair Pedersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a nuts and bolts approach to tackling the ‘wicked problems’ of climate change through transition engineering. It’s a course book and is backed with good data, math and sound methodology. It’s a fairly easy read and presents BAU and realistic future scenarios with tonnes of jarring numbers while keeping an upbeat tone.