Towards a new philosophy of engineering: structuring the complex problems from the sustainability discourse

This dissertation considers three broad issues which emerge from the sustainability discourse. First is the nature of the discourse itself, particularly the underlying philosophical positions which are represented. Second, is the nature of the highly complex types of problem which the discourse exposes. And third is whether the engineering profession, as it is practised currently, is adequate to deal with such problems. The sustainability discourse exposes two distinct, fundamentally irreconcilable philosophical positions. The first, “sustainable development”, considers humanity to be privileged in relation to all other species and ecosystems. It is only incumbent upon us to look after the environment to the extent to which it is in our interests to do so. The second, “sustainability”, sees humanity as having no special moral privilege and recognises the moral status of other species, ecosystems, and even wilderness areas. Thus, sustainability imposes upon us a moral obligation to take their status into account and not to degrade or to destroy them. These two conflicting positions give rise to extremely complex problems. An innovative taxonomy of problem complexity has been developed which identifies three broad categories of problem. Of particular interest in this dissertation is the most complex of these, referred to here as the Type 3 problem. The Type 3 problem recognises the systemic complexity of the problem situation but also includes differences of the domain of interests as a fundamental, constituent part of the problem itself. Hence, established systems analysis techniques and reductionist approaches do not work. The domain of interests will typically have disparate ideas and positions, which may be entirely irreconcilable. The dissertation explores the development of philosophy of science, particularly in the last 70 years. It is noted that, unlike the philosophy of science, the philosophy of engineering has not been influenced by developments of critical theory, cultural theory, and postmodernism, which have had significant impact in late 20th-century Western society. This is seen as a constraint on the practice of engineering. Thus, a set of philosophical principles for sustainable engineering practice is developed. Such a change in the philosophy underlying the practice of engineering is seen as necessary if engineers are to engage with and contribute to the resolution of Type 3 problems. Two particular challenges must be overcome, if Type 3 problems are to be satisfactorily resolved. First, issues of belief, values, and morals are central to this problem type and must be included in problem consideration. And second, the problem situation is usually so complex that it challenges the capacity of human cognition to deal with it. Consequently, extensive consideration is given to cognitive and behavioural psychology, in particular to choice, judgement and decision-making in uncertainty. A novel problem-structuring approach is developed on three levels. A set philosophical foundation is established; a theoretical framework, based on general systems theory and established behavioural and cognitive psychological theory, is devised; and a set of tools is proposed to model Type 3 complex problems as a dynamic systems. The approach is different to other systems approaches, in that it enables qualitative exploration of the system to plausible, hypothetical disturbances. The problem-structuring approach is applied in a case study, which relates to the development of a water subsystem for a major metropolis (Sydney, Australia). The technique is also used to critique existing infrastructure planning processes and to propose an alternative approach

Incidence and severity of cassava mosaic disease in the Republic of Congo

Diagnostic surveys were conducted in 2002 and 2003 in order to provide a comprehensive and detailed assessment of the status of cassava mosaic disease (CMD) in the Republic of Congo (ROC) and to determine if the disease was spreading. In 2002, 105 farmers’ fields were assessed in the four major cassava-producing regions of the country. In 2003, 163 fields were sampled in nine regions and Brazzaville Commune. Incidence of cassava mosaic disease was generally high, averaging 80 and 86 % for 2002 and 2003, respectively; while damage was moderate to severe. In 2002, disease incidence was moderate in Pool (73%) but high in Brazzaville (81%), Cuvette Centrale (82%) and in Plateaux Region (84%). Pool region still had the lowest incidence (78%) in 2003, while Sangha (95%) had the highest incidence. The greatest disease severity was recorded in Niari region in the south and Cuvette Ouest region in the north in 2003. East African cassava mosaic virus Uganda variant (EACMVUG) occurred virtually throughout the country, commonly in dual infections with African cassava mosaic virus. The high incidence of disease in plants considered to be the results of cutting infection (74% in 2002 and 82% in 2003), relatively low incidence of disease in plants considered to be infected by whiteflies and wide distribution of EACMV-UG points to the fact that the CMD pandemic is a chronic in the country and the areas sampled are currently in a stable post-epidemic phase. This situation is comparable to that in areas of East Africa affected by a pandemic during the 1990s, including Uganda, parts of western Kenya and north-western Tanzania. These findings clearly verify the assertion that the CMD pendemic has expanded across Central Africa and provide a basis for designing interventions and control strategies for the entire region