ABSTRACT
The earth’s natural resources, air, water and land are becoming increasingly polluted and abused at alarming rates because of human activities, resulting in an estimated 100 species becoming extinct every day (Wilson 1989). This rate of extinction could be accelerated by rapid climate change caused by increasing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere from industrial-scale burning of fossil fuels. The expansion of human settlements and intensification of agriculture have led to the destruction of natural habitats and ecosystems, such as tropical and temperate rainforests, freshwater lakes and streams and coral reefs, on a global scale. This situation raises questions about the social and environmental responsibility of business and the engineer.
