Why STEM Is Key for Sustainable Development

 July 2015 – By Daniel Suchenski

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), are vital disciplines to our future, the future of our country, the future of our region and the future of our children.

Stop and consider how often we experience STEM in our daily lives? Example of STEM include everything from the natural world, to our smartphones, to healthcare, to agriculture, to cleaning supplies you buy at the grocery store and the roads, bridges other transportation services you may have used to get to that grocery store in the first place. STEM is important, not only because it pervades every aspect of our lives, but because it is the key to a better tomorrow.

Humanity has noble and long-standing tradition of innovation, entrepreneurship and exploration that has allowed us to do everything from go to the moon, to instantly send information around the world, and even to save and extend lives.

Sustainability has a very storied past but seems to have reached a pinnacle moment of late. Recent key players around the world are asking more from humanity now than ever before to come together to handle local and global issues that STEM will play the principal role in solving.

Let’s consider how STEM effects what is closest and dearest to us—our children. For the next generation to succeed STEM innovation will be absolutely vital for continued sustainable development across the globe. For 2014, the US News and World Report listed the ten best jobs. All ten of them were in STEM fields: software developer, computer systems analyst, dentist, nurse practitioner, pharmacist, registered nurse, physical therapist, physician, web developer, dental hygienist[1]. According to the U. S. Department of Education, STEM jobs are growing at 1.7 times the rate of non-STEM jobs, and the U.S. is simply not producing enough candidates to fill them. Only 16% of high school seniors are interested in pursuing STEM careers.[2] Not only is STEM important to having our children gainfully employed, but also offers a sustainable innovation pathway for the world.

Rob Denson, Chair, STEM Higher Education Council, President, Des Moines Area Community College and Edie Fraser, Chief Executive Officer, STEMConnector® state, as part of the forward to their new book Advancing a Jobs-Driven Economy that, “Aligning, corporate, education, and community partners requires that we rethink and redesign the system that supports STEM education and workforce preparedness. The sustainability of our schools, the innovative engines of our businesses, the prosperity of communities, and the global competitiveness of our economies are at stake.”[3]

The connection between sustainability and STEM is hardly just an American need. While the Obama administration and congress seem aligned on the greater need for STEM nationally, the international community is been making significant steps to advance a global STEM driven economy. Pope Francis on July 21^st 2015, hosted some 65 mayors from across the world at the Vatican-sponsored conference on Climate Change. The two-day conference, titled "Modern Slavery and Climate Change: The Commitment of the Cities" and "Prosperity, People and Planet: Achieving Sustainable Development in Our Cities," is the latest in a series of public efforts on the part of the Vatican to influence the debate on climate change and other global issues. Like many global issues of today, it will take skilled Scientists, Mathematicians, Engineers and Technologists to come up with plans to help alleviate growing problems like climate change, pollution, waste, water usage, and much much more.

The Pope’s efforts come at a time when the international community at the United Nations will vote September 2015 on sustainable development goals, and member nations will submit plans to combat climate change this winter in Paris. The United Nations in a 2013 meeting that acted as a precursor to the September Sustainable Development Goals noted that while innovation and R&D are essential elements to the goals, that in particular that areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics: the so called STEM subjects will be “the key to ensuring sustainable progress: no effective research would be possible without a steady supply of trained, competent researchers” trained in STEM disciplines.[4]

For the Delaware Valley region, investing in the future of science, technology, engineering and mathematics makes sense for local large firms like InterDigital, Dow, Ashland, Christiana Care Health System, AstraZeneca, DuPont, AirLiquide and Incyte, as well as several international engineering firms, and a growing large life sciences and agriculture industry. The Delaware Valley region’s challenge in recruiting sufficient numbers of STEM professionals is daunting, in the face of competing with known areas like the Silicon Valley or the Research Triangle. Local firms are finding it difficult to recruit the STEM professionals they need to continue to be successful in today’s ever-changing business environment. 

According to Georgetown’s Center on Education and the Workforce, Delaware ranks only behind Massachusetts for the best state to get a job as a STEM grad.[5] And the region will need thousands of additional people completing post-secondary degrees by every year. From community colleges like Delaware Technical, to state institutions like Delaware State University and the University of Delaware, and private colleges like Wesley, and Wilmington University and others, the region has the capacity to produce more trained individuals. Introducing our current and future students to STEM opportunities and getting them engaged and excited about seeking advanced schooling in these areas is essential to meet these demands.

If the United States is to remain a center for research, innovation, entrepreneurship and prominence, then we must motivate all citizens into STEM fields. Because STEM is so important for our children, our region and our country, we need to encourage current and future generations of students, to understand and embrace the technology that affects them every day of their lives. Students should be advised on the merits of taking as many math and science courses in elementary and middle as much as possible but also meet with STEM professional mentors like the Its My Future Program that Junior Achievement of Delaware administers[6], to make science and math courses fun and interesting such that their passions will grow into an exciting and rewarding STEM career.

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Daniel Suchenski is the Executive Director for the Governor’s STEM Council for the state of Delaware. He is also the Principal at KCX Consulting dedicated to Management and Sustainability issues.

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[1] http://money.usnews.com/money/careers/articles/2014/01/23/the-best-jobs-of-2014?page=2

[2] http://money.cnn.com/2014/09/25/smallbusiness/stem-facts/

[3] STEMConnector Team (2015). Advancing a Jobs-Driven Economy. New York, NY. Morgan James Publishing. Page XXII

[4] https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/4628cern.pdf

[5] http://delawarestem.org/event/new-georgetown-university-report-finds-massachusetts-delaware-and-washington-have-most-job

[6] http://delawarestem.org/news/junior-achievement-partners-stem-council-dow-chemical

Sustainable Development in Nigeria - IAQ/IEQ Issues

Since my the last TPR paper written on materials it would seem that Newtown Township is still as bogged down by political in-fighting and bureaucracy as it has been for several months now and it has proven difficult to acquire information and project meetings necessary for our group to be a useful participant in the process of making this new construction as sustainable as possible within budget constraints. At this point, pursuit of assisting the township is strictly on a personal level and is not being considered and is not part of the Foxtrots final presentation. Therefore this paper will largely focus on the project in Nigeria but will also examine some of the sustainable aspects of ICEC2 through a USGBC and GBCI looking glass.

Nigeria’s Intercontinental Education Community Center (ICEC2):
Recently our TPA group had its second project meeting in Doylestown concerning ICEC2. The morning of April 3rd saw the four members of the Foxtrots meeting with Mr. and Mrs. Ukazim as well as their Nigerian architect who is tweaking drawings developed pro-bono by WRT in center city Philadelphia. During the two hour meeting Mr. and Mrs. Ukazim updated us on the progress and vision of the ICEC2 project as well as the introduced to the official schematics and asked to comment and critique. We decided that as this will be, among other things, a school and clinic that will be used year round it is important to consider IEQ and ways to make the spaces as sustainable and learning friendly as possible. Along with using materials inside the building envelope that contain few to no VOC’s and off-gas as minimally as possible, the architects took the idea of conservation, the natural environment and a healthy IEQ to heart. The project is located at about 5° latitude and 9° longitude, the planned location of ICEC2 means that there will be over twelve hours of sunlight per day available for sustaining the building. As glass is expensive, hot and cumbersome the windows of each classroom as well as the campus common area to name a few will all be open to the outdoors and will promote natural ventilation and air infiltration.

With the decision to use natural ventilation (the average year round wind speed is around 11 mph, this is useful for natural ventilation and perhaps the use of wind turbines for electricity.) the project is saving money living more within its means, promoting a healthier IEQ and, without a HVAC system, is contributing to acoustical comfort. Common sources of acoustical discomfort, as mentioned in the cSBA student handbook include: “office equipment, HVAC systems, outdoor noise, and voices of others in the office space”[1] As little to no ‘office equipment’ will be used in the buildings except perhaps in the administrative wing, this is not a concern for ICEC2. The HVAC system, as mentioned earlier, is being replaced with a natural ventilation system making this acoustical discomfort a non-issue. Outdoor noise will still have to be taken into consideration not only during the design stage but after the building begins full operations to assess and account for unanticipated noise intrusions so they can be mitigated and eliminated. Under optimal conditions, i.e. all the students in the school are behaving and not being excessively noisy or disruptive we do not foresee either outdoor or indoor noise intrusion affecting the acoustical comfort of ICEC2’s faculty, staff and students.

Second on the list of IEQ concerns to address to optimize the environmental quality and learning atmosphere is the presence of indoor air pollution. According to the cSBA student handbook, there are four pollutants of concern, these are: chemicals (gases, VOC’s), Particles (dust), Microbes (molds) and radiation (radon, EMF’s)[2]. While at this point it is still difficult to ascertain what indoor materials such as chairs, tables etc. may be used in the buildings upon completion and the affect on the IEQ they might have in terms of their ability and potential to off-gas, the use of natural ventilation and frequent recirculation of outdoor air makes this less of a concern. Dust is a universal concern, requiring attention. The location of the school in Nigeria means it will be exposed to nearly six months of completely dry conditions where there is virtually no rainfall. The dry season, as it is known, is a concern from an IEQ perspective as the building tries to remove particles in the environment that may contribute to allergies irritations and a less than optimal learning atmosphere. Particles less than 10 microns are inhaled into the lungs and have a large enough surface area to carry other contaminants such as pesticides, PAHs SO2, NO2; they stay suspended for hours to days; they build up in carpet and furniture and are re-suspended by walking, sitting and vacuuming and air filters do not remove them.[3] While ICEC2 does plan, and is currently planting, trees, vegetables and other plants to contribute to its goal of self-sufficiency, there is no plan to utilize pesticides or other harmful chemicals into the campus of ICEC2. Additionally there is no plan for carpeting to be installed in the buildings as it is more expensive and does not positively contribute to IEQ. That being said, ICEC2 will institute a school wide co-op program where various tasks to ensure the sustainability of ICEC2 will be maintained. The proposed co-op plan includes having the school cleaned everyday to remove and reduce particles from dust. Additionally there are discussions into the feasibility of using ‘mandatory recess.’ While not specifically pertaining to IEQ issues, the idea was raised to use playground equipment, perhaps as part of a co-op, to bring ground water to the surface[4]. Perhaps the more pressing IEQ concern is particulate from the construction process. “Dust can include lead, cadmium, gypsum, fiberglass, carpet fibers, soot, dust mite, feces, mold spores, rug dyes, fire retardants, tire fragments, dander, charred wood”[5] among others. Construction particulate and dust is a potential concern for ICEC2. After completion the building should be thoroughly cleaned to ensure as little of construction related particulate remains. This procedure is not to dissimilar to the GBCI’s LEED-NC credits 3.1 and 3.2 which apply to construction IEQ management plans both during construction and before occupancy. As mentioned, six months of the year ICEC2 will be experiencing the dry season, the other six months are called the wet season. During the wet season, it is not uncommon to experience in excess of 100 inches of rain. These concentrations of heavy rain are potentially problematic where microbes, specifically mold, are concerned. With consistent temperatures above 60º F and relative humidity high year round and only higher during the rainy season, ICEC2 will need to make sure that there are no locations that do not have access to the planned natural ventilation for the buildings.

The last concern related to a healthy IEQ is that of radiation. While there are perhaps many possible radiation concerns, the most common is radon. Emitted from rocks this naturally occurring gas is odorless, colorless and contributes to between 7,000 to 30,000 cancer deaths a year in the US. [6] Considering that there is no planned basement or substructure for ICEC2 coupled with the widespread natural ventilation, we do not anticipate a problem with radon. It would be advisable to bring some materials to sample the radon levels to be completely sure.
If, during construction or after occupancy it comes to the attention of the staff or someone at the site of ICEC2 that there is or may be a problem steps toward remediation will be taken. If possible “eliminating or controlling the sources, and eliminating or controlling their ability to move around is the primary means of addressing IAQ.”[7] The hierarchies of steps toward remediation are: avoiding or eliminating the source followed by isolating/sealing the source, and finally ventilation and filtration. Along with remediation, these three simple steps can be used not only after a problem has developed but also to reduce or eliminate a problem from developing. The best way to avoid or eliminate such problems during construction is to choose “low or non-emitting building materials and finishes. Another solution is to avoid conditions conductive to mold growth and other biological contaminants”[8]. After ICEC2 is built and running it is best to keep all the buildings clean – the co-op program- this includes cleaning dust and other particulate. If elimination was not possible the next best thing for a conventional building like the Newtown Township’s new LEED building would be to isolate and ventilate the source and vent it to the outside. ICEC2 will accomplish this through its open windows and natural ventilation planning. If remediation is required at ICEC2 and elimination is not possible making sure that the space which contains the source has adequate access to the cross winds available in the building structures will be paramount and may include keeping doors and temporarily avoiding the location of the source.

The next meeting with the Foxtrots and the owners and builders of ICEC2 will most likely take place this upcoming Wednesday the 15th of April and while the last meeting centered around meeting the architect and going over structural design concepts, the upcoming meeting will include Philip S. Getty, P.G. who recently spoke at our cSBA class and will be talking to us more extensively about water and water use on the proposed ICEC2 site.

This is an Excerpt only and may not be copied or cited without permission, Please contact me directly to learn more.

[1] Unit 5 IEQ – Student handbook – Version 1.3 – 4 of 16 - ©2008 NaSBAP. [2] Unit 5 IEQ – Student handbook – Version 1.3 – 5 of 16 - ©2008 NaSBAP. [3] Unit 5 IEQ – Student handbook – Version 1.3 – 6 of 16 - ©2008 NaSBAP. [4] http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/22846013/ [5] Unit 5 IEQ – Student handbook – Version 1.3 – 6 of 16 - ©2008 NaSBAP. [6] Unit 5 IEQ – Student handbook – Version 1.3 – 7 of 16 - ©2008 NaSBAP. [7] Unit 5 IEQ – Student handbook – Version 1.3 – 7 of 16 - ©2008 NaSBAP. [8] Unit 5 IEQ – Student handbook – Version 1.3 – 8 of 16 - ©2008 NaSBAP.

Sustainable Development in Nigeria - Green Materials

Nigeria’s Intercontinental Education Community Center (ICEC2): Recently our TPA group had a meeting in Doylestown. The morning of the 13th at 7am found four from the SBA class in a café meeting with Mr. and Mrs. Ukazim who are the owners and promoters of ICEC2. During the two hour meeting Mr. and Mrs. Ukazim relayed the history of the project as well as its aspirations and goals. We decided that as this will be, among other things, a school and clinic that will be used year round it is important to consider materials inside the building envelope that contain few to no VOC’s and off-gas as minimally as possible. The project’s land has already been bought and is in the process of being fenced off for security reasons before construction can begin. The project is located at about 5° latitude and 9° longitude, the planned location of ICEC2 means that there will be over twelve hours of sunlight per day available for sustaining the building. While the approach to the materials differs dramatically from those being considered for the Newtown project there are still numerous ‘green’ materials that are being considered. Looking at case study in San Francisco called ‘scrap house’ goes a long way in understanding how much is still possible when you have a limited budget. Scrap house is located on a 90’ X 135’ parcel of land in front of San Francisco City Hall. If the name wasn’t telling enough the objective of scrap house was to create a house using nothing but scrap and salvaged materials. Some examples of salvaged scrap include furnishings like: the cardboard table & stool made out of recycled corrugated cardboard, salvaged floorboards, and heavy-duty cardboard tubes. The table was accompanied by a stool made of rolled and carved corrugated cardboard, topped with a comfy seat of wine corks.[1] For interior finishes include: the Phonebook Wall. Looking through Scrap House’s main entryway, visitors were greeted by a wall made of 1,500 phonebooks stacked vertically. The phonebooks were affixed to the sheet metal wall covering with two self-tapping screws drilled through the spine of the book. The phonebooks acted as insulation and helped with the acoustics of the main space.[2] And finally examples of exterior materials include Street Sign Siding. Street and traffic signed were used as siding for one entire exterior wall, some of which were visible from the interior. The signs were donated by the San Francisco Department of Public Works.[3]

Another case study with considerations important to green material in Nigeria was a Women’s Intercultural Center Being Built with Used Tires in Anthony, New Mexico[4] and others that reuse tires in construction. While there are fast becoming more ways and used to recycle or reuse tires there are still tons that go to landfills every year. Roughly 300 million scrap tires are generated each year in the United States alone[5] according to the Industrial Resources Council. Of that 300 million about 40 million tires end up in landfills. [6] Tire derived aggregate has very useful engineering properties that make these materials an excellent choice for construction applications like at the Women’s Center in New Mexico. In addition, tires have a high energy density and can be used as fuel to generate electricity. Nigeria is the largest producer of Rubber in Africa[7] and is a major production link for Michelin and Bridgestone for the fabrication of tires around the world. This means that tires may well be a viable, cost effective way to use a free or cheap commodity in the creation of ICEC2 that is also environmentally helpful. Tires can be used to make the wall of the building, as in New Mexico, or may be used as a cushioning material in playgrounds and other public areas popular with children, or even as a replacement of traditional concrete sidewalks. The feasibility of using tires as a fuel source may well turn out to be too costly of an endeavor for ICEC2. However as part of the schools focus is to “educating the whole person” which includes vocational training it may be a viable consideration as this manner of ‘tire fuel’ is often used in trade skills like glass, steel and concrete.



This is an Excerpt only and may not be copied or cited without permission, Please contact me directly to learn more.


Photos courtsey of: http://www.thereporteronline.com/articles/2009/01/05/news/srv0000004343733.txt
http://icec2.org/home.html
[1] http://www.scraphouse.org/Materials [2] http://www.scraphouse.org/Materials [3] http://www.scraphouse.org/Materials[4] http://www.laprensa-sandiego.org/archieve/june21-02/tires.htm [5]http://www.industrialresourcescouncil.org/Materials/ScrapTires/tabid/367/Default.aspx[6] Ibid[7] http://www.wrm.org.uy/bulletin/138/viewpoint.html#-%20Nigeria:%20Tyres%20at%20the%20expense%20of%20people’s%20livelihoods

Sustainability in Arizona?

Would it surprise you to know that Arizona State University (ASU) in Phoenix Arizona is actively shaping the world of social responsibility and sustainability today? A university in the desert, ASU is faced, everyday, with sustainable challenges that, despite their daunting nature, do not prevent the capital city of Phoenix from being the fastest growing city in the US. Associated with this rapid development, ASU students and faculty helped design and implement, Tempe Town Lake. This two mile long water source helps address problems of water shortage and less the destructive flooding that occurs in Arizona during the rainy season. While ASU has always faced sustainability problems, ASU moved itself to the forefront of sustainability by opening the nations first School of Sustainability (SOS) last year. Offering everything from bachelors to doctorate degrees, SOS and ASU’s president, Michael Crow’s commitment to furthering social responsibility and environmental change in higher education, is effecting a positive change across the globe. Following its commitment to sustainability and change ASU’s president started a so-called University Climate Initiative. The initiative, which is close in scope to what some American mayors have tried to do, hopes to “get other university presidents to sign up for a series of renewable-energy objectives and carbon-emission objectives.”1 While being in the desert has led ASU to take on sustainability as a way to tackle some of its major challenges to development and growth, the entire world will benefit from the work that is being done at ASU in the future.

This is an excerpt and may not be copied or cited without permission. Please contact me directly to learn more.