Mallory Poff
EGR 2711
Homework 1
1. Relate the Tragedy of the Commons to a local (Elon or your hometown) environmental
issue. What are the ‘commons’ for this example? How are the ‘commons’ being
inappropriately used? What are some solutions to this issue?
Thinking of my hometown, I feel like an example of Tragedy of the Commons is
littering and/or improperly behaving on our beaches. While there are signs posted
everywhere and plenty of trash cans up by the parking lots, plenty of people, both locals
and tourists litter the beaches every day. It is easy to say that one can or one wrapper
won’t hurt anyone, however after a long period of time, this trash adds up and greatly
impacts wildlife in the area. The ‘commons’ in this example would be the beaches
because everyone has access. A possible solution would be to implement more beach
clean-up initiatives, like the “Fill-A-Bag” project. This project incorporates using reusable
buckets to pick up trash every time you visit a beach. If more projects like this can be
started and continued, then the beaches will be cleaner and safer for animals, as well
as the more people who hear about these projects, the more likely people are to
positively contribute.
https://www.fox4now.com/news/protecting-paradise/fill-a-bag-project-comes-tosouthwest-florida-to-promote-beach-clean-up
2. Your future engineering self is designing a retaining wall for a beach community? How
does your design incorporate sustainability and resilience with respect to rising sea
levels? How might you propose a design with those characteristics to a community that
is skeptical of climate change and its effects?
While not directly related to rising sea levels, throughout the process of
construction, I want to make sure that the wildlife both on land and in the water
surrounding the project is properly monitored, and even temporarily relocated, to
prevent issues with the native wildlife. In addition, material analysis of the retaining wall
is very important. By using recycled materials that can withstand heavy water forces is
vital for the longevity of the wall. We do not want pieces of the wall to be floating away
in the ocean and by making it stronger now, less repairs will have to be done in the
future, allowing the ecosystem to be adapt to a human-created wall. To encourage a
community against climate change, you need to go with an approach that involves the
benefits directly related to the locals of what your retaining wall will do. For example, a
beach community exists because people love the beach and enjoy living right near or
on one. The retaining wall will also help with sand erosion, therefore, without the wall,
the beaches can erode faster and therefore, the locals’ beaches will be gone sooner.
While they may not care as much about the sea levels rising or hurting the wildlife, they
will care about their prized beaches being gone.
(most of this information I know from working with my dad in high school – he is a
coastal engineer and I even worked on a retaining wall project)
3. What is the triple bottom line? How can your future environmental engineering self
successfully apply sustainability while working for an engineering firm?
According to UW Sustainable Management, the triple bottom line is “a
transformation framework for businesses and other organizations to help them move
toward a regenerative and more sustainable future.” This framework has been designed
to create ideas and solutions to help people, prosperity, and the planet. Because of my
interests, I hope to be at a firm that is actively designing or creating inventions, plans,
and/or ideas that help the surrounding environment and increase sustainability efforts
for communities. In addition, if I am at a place where different “engineering” is taking
place, I want to make sure sustainable efforts are always in place for projects and voice
my concerns when I see an idea not have the environment as a ‘stakeholder.’
https://sustain.wisconsin.edu/sustainability/triple-bottom-line/