The Promise And Peril Of Iso 14000 And The Role Of Engineering Educators

With increased pressures to make our curriculum relevant there are a number of crucial issues that need to be considered for inclusion in our courses. In an already overcrowded curriculum there is relentless tension about those student learning objectives that are desirable against those that are less relevant. The conceptual framework inherent in ISO 14000 is particularly relevant as the relentless pressures of pollution, climate change, and depletion of finite resource become more apparent with each passing day. These problems will require geopolitical, sociological, technological, and engineering solutions. Therefore, there is a pressing need to pursue inclusion of ISO 14000 concepts into our courses. Ideas such as the development of environmental management systems, environmentally benign manufacturing, life cycle assessment, and product take back should be included wherever appropriate. In this paper we will explore the educational opportunities that naturally emerge when addressing underlying concepts that are implicit in ISO 14000. Toward this end we will examine the positive aspects and limitations of this standard. Finally we will review some of the existing and emerging resources that can help faculty members either locate or create curriculum materials that are pertinent to ISO 14000.