The American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) and its Institute for Sustainability are working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on the 6th Annual National Sustainable Design Expo, which will be held in conjunction with events marking the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day. The expo, to be held on April 24th and 25th on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., will showcase the work of innovative engineers, scientists and business leaders who are committed to economic growth, while reducing environmental impact.
The expo will also host the presentation of awards to winners of EPA’s sustainable design competition for college students, P3 – People, Prosperity and the Planet. Students and their faculty advisers have been competing for up to $75,000 in funding to implement their designs and move them to the marketplace. The student’s projects are focused on challenges in alternative energy; the collection, purification and distribution of water; agricultural practices to reduce pesticide run-off; and new technologies for green buildings.
Darlene Schuster, executive director of the Institute for Sustainability, said that Earth Day and the expo present “a great opportunity to highlight the societal, economic, and environmental benefits of sustainable engineering.” She said she is gratified that companies like Dow Chemical, General Motors (and its Volt vehicle), Ford, AgraQuest, SAIC, Covanta Energy and Doty Energy are participating and “demonstrating their commitment at a time when interest in sustainability is growing and policies and technologies are changing.”
For further information about the National Sustainable Design Expo, contact Jonathan Monk at AIChE’s Institute for Sustainability at 646-495-1381 or jonam@aiche.org or visit http://www.aiche.org/EPAp3/.
About the Institute for Sustainability
Established by AIChE in 2004, IfS’s mission is to serve the needs—and influence the efforts—of professionals, academics, companies and government agencies that contribute to the advancement of sustainability and sustainable development. Participants in IfS come from a broad spectrum of industries and disciplines. To learn more, visit http://www.aiche.org/IFS/About/Index.aspx