THE DISASTROUS

EFFECTS OF CLIMATE
CHANGE
AND HOW STRUCTURAL
ENGINEERS COULD STOP
THEM
___

By Mara Stegaru

NASA.

INTRODUCTION
We are always hearing about how climate change is bad and how we as a society need to
make a change to combat climate change, but what we want to know is, what is so bad about
climate change? How can we fix it? Well, climate change has not only adverse ecological
effects, but can also affect the average member of society economically, socially, and can
have negative effects towards health. Now, what can be done to mitigate these detrimental
effects? The structural engineering industry is one that, if reformed to prioritize
sustainability, can have a significant positive effect against climate change. Let us explore the
gravity of the effects of climate change and the role that the structural engineering industry
plays in the issue.

What is sustainability?
Before delving into the issue of structural development versus climate change, we must first
define what it means to be sustainable. The scientific community has come to a consensus
that the definition of sustainability can be characterized by a statement known as the
Brundtland statement, which states the following: Humanity has the ability to make
development sustainableto ensure that it meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (Carew and
Mitchell). Climate change, if left unchecked, would egregiously defy this statement, and
future generations would be left with nothing.

What is climate change?

Climate change

refers to the change of global temperature and weather trends, not isolated

instances, over time. Climate change can occur naturally, to an extent, but research and data
have shown that, over the past 1,300 years, global warming trends have been increasing at an
unprecedented rate (NASA).

Temperature data from four international science institutions. All show rapid warming in the past few decades and that
the last decade has been the warmest on record. Data sources: NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, NOAA
National Climatic Data Center, Met Office Hadley Centre/Climatic Research Unit and the Japanese Meteorological
Agency. (NASA)

The dramatic increase in the rate of global warming correlates with the Industrial Revolution,
where human-induced carbon emissions began to significantly increase. The trend of
increased carbon emissions directly correlates with the trend of increased global warming,
and has led to the scientific consensus that the rapid warming of the planet can be attributed
to carbon emissions due to human practices.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is an important heat-trapping (greenhouse) gas, which is released through
human activities such as deforestation and burning fossil fuels, as well as natural processes such
as respiration and volcanic eruptions (NASA).

Atmospheric CO2 levels in recent years, with average seasonal cycle removed. NASA.

CO2 levels during the last three glacial cycles, as reconstructed from ice cores. NASA.

Why is climate change bad?

Ecological Effects Categorized by Region of the United States
Northeast. Heat waves, heavy downpours and sea level rise pose growing challenges to

many aspects of life in the Northeast. Infrastructure, agriculture, fisheries and ecosystems
will be increasingly compromised. Many states and cities are beginning to incorporate climate
change into their planning.

Photo of Boston, Winter 2015. John Tlumaki, Boston Globe.

Northwest. Changes in the timing of streamflow reduce water supplies for competing

demands. Sea level rise, erosion, inundation, risks to infrastructure and increasing ocean
acidity pose major threats. Increasing wildfire, insect outbreaks and tree diseases are causing
widespread tree die-off.

Smoke from wildfires, August 22, 2015. Weather Underground.

Southeast. Sea level rise poses widespread and continuing threats to the regions economy
and environment. Extreme heat will affect health, energy, agriculture and more. Decreased
water availability will have economic and environmental impacts.

Depiction of Florida post-critical sea level rise. Flood Barrier USA.

Midwest. Extreme heat, heavy downpours and flooding will affect infrastructure, health,

agriculture, forestry, transportation, air and water quality, and more. Climate change will also
exacerbate a range of risks to the Great Lakes.

Flooding in Pacific, MO. Jeff Roberson, AP.

Southwest. Increased heat, drought and insect outbreaks, all linked to climate change, have
increased wildfires. Declining water supplies, reduced agricultural yields, health impacts in

cities due to heat, and flooding and erosion in coastal areas are additional concerns. (NASA).

Drought Map. U.S. National Drought Monitor.

Economic Effects
Property and Infrastructural Damage. M
ore intense storms mean more intense damage.
The design standards for structural engineers do not take the high probability of extreme
weather into account, because we have never had to design infrastructure for these
conditions before.
Decreased Productivity. The severe weather effects of climate change can disrupt daily life:
work, school, transportation, farming, energy production, etc. The adverse health effects can
also impede people from contributing to the economy.
Depletion of Resources. While the use of non-renewable resources, such as coal, natural
gas, and petroleum, contribute greatly to the increase of carbon emissions, they are also
non-renewable, which means we will run out of these resources if we do not find an
alternative. A complete depletion of resources would abruptly halt the global economy, and
leave future generations to deal with the consequences.

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Health Effects
Respiratory. There will be more pollen in the air due to altered growing seasons, more

spores from mold due to increased rainfall, more air pollution due to our forms of energy
production, and more dust due to droughts. All of these factors are inflammatory to the
respiratory system, and can put people with respiratory issues, such as allergies or asthma, at
very high risk.
Cancer. Increased ultraviolet radiation and toxins released from products and processes with
a large carbon footprint can greatly increase the risk for various forms of cancer.

Food. Altered growing seasons and precipitation patterns can lead to food shortages due to
drought and unpredictable frosts. Toxins produced via unsustainable processes for

manufacturing can also build up in our wild fish and agriculture due to toxins leaching into
both above and below ground water.

Biomagnification of DDT, a pesticide outlawed in the U.S. in 1972 due to accumulation in the system and toxicity.

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Social Effects
Heat waves. Urban areas have both a high population density and are heat sinks, which

means they are significantly warmer than less developed areas. Urban societies will be highly
affected by the increase in heat waves, drought, and violent storms.
Infrastructure. Buildings, bridges, roads, etc., are all prevalent forms of infrastructure in

urban areas that would be dramatically affected by the extreme weather associated with

climate change. The current standards for the structural engineering industry do not account
for such extreme and frequent weather patterns, so infrastructure would fail more quickly and
critically than engineers would have expected during initial construction. A failure of
infrastructure on which urban societies rely would severely disrupt the flow of society.

Climate change and structural engineering

Concrete is the predominant material, along with steel, that is used for structural
development globally. The production of Portland cement, a key component of concrete, has
doubled in the last 30 years, and, with the progression of technology and development, is
expected to continue to grow well into the next century. Each ton of cement produces a ton of
carbon dioxide emissions. The cement industry alone contributes to 7% of the global carbon
dioxide emissions (Oschendorf).

What do we do?
Improvement of Life-Cycle Performance. Long life contributes to sustainability and
reduction of greenhouse gas emissions through conservation of materials and energy
required for removal and replacement. Long life can be promoted by siting to avoid
susceptibility to flooding and wildfires, and using structural systems and details that are
inherently resistant to extremes of temperature, wind and precipitation (Wright, Ayyub, and
Lombardo).

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Life Cycle Cost Analysis. EBS Consultants.

Flexibility in Design. Engineers must make structures adaptable to conditions that could
not be foreseen during the original design a quality already widely exemplified by older
structures in useful service today (Wright, Ayyub, and Lombardo).
Energy Efficiency. Low energy, including the embodied energy in original construction and
the operating energy over the structures service life, provides both economic benefits and
reductions in the greenhouse gas emissions driving climate change (Wright, Ayyub, and
Lombardo).

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Model of Passive House Technology. GCP.

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References
ASTM International. N.p., n.d. Web.
Carew, Anna L., and Cynthia A. Mitchell. "Characterizing Undergraduate Engineering
Students' Understanding of Sustainability." (n.d.): n. pag. Print.
"The Consequences of Climate Change." NASA. NASA, n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2016.
Gabbert, Bill. "Smoke from Wildfires in Northwest Affects Western States." Wildfire
Today. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2016.
"Global Warming Effects on the Economy." Global Warming Effects on the Economy.
Union of Concerned Scientists, n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2016.
"Health Impacts of Climate Change." National Institutes of Health. U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2016.
Kangas, Patrick C. "Ecological Engineering: Principles and Practice." (n.d.): n. Pag.
Web.
Life Cycle Cost Analysis. N.d. E
BS Consultants. Web.
NASA. NASA, n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2016.
Ochsedorf, J.A. "Sustainable Engineering: The Future of Structural
Design." Sustainable Engineering: The Future of Structural Design (2005): n.
pag. Web.
Passivhaus. N.d. GCP. Web.
Rice, Doyle. "Wintertime Floods among Costliest Ever." USA Today. Gannett Satellite
Information Network, 09 Jan. 2016. Web. 02 Dec. 2016.

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"Sea Level Rise Happening Much Quicker than Predicted." Flood Barrier USA. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2016.
Tlumacki, John. "Snow Continues, Significant Storm May Hit Saturday - The Boston
Globe." BostonGlobe.com. N.p., 11 Feb. 2015. Web. 02 Dec. 2016.
Wright, Richard N., Bilal M. Ayyub, and Franklin T. Lombardo. "Bridging the Gap
between Climate Change Science and Structural Engineering
Practice." STRUCTURE Magazine. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2016.