Question

1. What are green house gases? How do they impact the environment?

2. Which of the methods for concept generation, in your opinion, have a high probability of generating a good idea for a new product? Explain your answer.

3. How can the green engineering aspects be incorporated in product and tool design?

Answer 1

1. Green house gases are gases that confines sun's heat on Earth's atmosphere. Some green house gases are water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, etc.

The main impact of green house gases on environment is global warming.

Global warming increases the Earth's heat thus leading to melting of ice caps and increase in sea level.

It also causes extreme weather events and climate change.

Also as CO2 rises in the atmosphere, sea water absorbs this CO2 and increases acidity of sea water.

Extreme weather events has caused extinction of some plants and animals .

Warmer temperature increases pathogenic bacterias.

2. Method for concept generation, which have a high probability of generating a good idea for a new product is

Brainstorming- It is a group activity where many people gather to find solution to a problem

It can generate good ideas because,

It collects different view points

It encourages critical thinking

It gets you out of your head

It makes you think outside the box

3. Green engineering aspects can be incorporated in product and tool design by,

1. Using environmental impact assessment tools.

2. Using life-cycle analysis in all engineering activities.

3. Reduce waste in all stages.

4. Use sustainable design standards and codes

5. Use sustainable materials for design.