The Engineer and Man's Environment - Academe's Response to the Challenge

The increasing levels of affluence in the highly industrialized western societies have resulted in a drastic and increasing deterioration of the quality of man's environment. The economic facts in these societies are such that it actually “pays to pollute.” Air and water pollution, solid waste disposal, and noise pollution have become areas of major concern for the institutions of higher learning. Through instruction and research, knowledge toward the alleviation and control of environmental pollution must be disseminated and advanced. One of the major contributors to the present state of environmental deterioration is the almost absolute lack of well-defined control criteria. Much needs to be done in this area and the academic community has the know-how and economic remoteness to tackle this problem.

One of the most fascinating facets of the environmental pollution problem is its interdisciplinary nature. In this paper, the Pennsylvania State University's programs on air pollution, water pollution, solid waste disposal, and noise control are described and discussed.