A world gone
green IE methods can curb global warming effects
Twenty years ago, global warming was as real as Santa
Claus to many people.
It simply wasn’t a big deal. The discussion about it then
seemed limited to scientists and never made a discernable
impression on international policymakers. If extreme cli-
mate change was understood at all by the general public,
then it was accepted as a popular myth — propaganda used
by pro-environment groups to fuel an anti-corporate agen-
da in the final years of the Cold War. Skeptical lawmakers
ruled global warming as a theory, one that was incapable
of affecting national infrastructures including technology
and the economy.
Gas emissions from manufacturing, vehicles, and homes
destroying the air we breathe? Allowing the sun to burn
28 Industrial Engineer
By Dav i d Br a n dt
brighter and heat up the planet? Destroying nature in the
warmest and coldest geographies? It seemed ridiculous.
In hindsight, many could argue, few people could have con-
sidered any risks outweighing the benefits of growing business
and industry in a civilized — and now globalized — world. The
Industrial Revolution that began in the United States at the
start of the 20th century surely was the right movement at the
time. The era gave birth to corporate manufacturing, produc-
tion lines, and the modern means of meeting supply with de-
mand, all of which spread around the world and dug deep into
the cultures of democracies, republics, and communist states
— facilitating industrialized agendas, including war. The same
era also gave way to modern health care, transportation, and
the use of industrial engineering.
 Eventually, though, there was an underlying fear that was
deftly associated with the myth: Civilization was slowly kill-
ing itself through chemical emissions, pollution, and unstable
energy sources.
The public perception of global warming has altered over
time, particularly in the past 20 years. Since then, Earth Day
has been annually marked on calendars, recycling has grown
into a common household practice, and business and industry
are striving to become more eco-friendly.
One of the biggest drives to capture the international
community’s attention regarding global warming and climate
change has been the critically acclaimed documentary “An
Inconvenient Truth,” based on a slideshow presentation cre-
ated by Al Gore, the former vice president of the United States
under President Bill Clinton. In the film, Gore discusses the
effects of greenhouse gases and an absence of energy conser-
vation on the environment worldwide.
These newly popular fears of a dying planet slowly evolved
into what many people consider a doomsday scenario, now
backed by facts and data. Mother Nature, it appears today,
has revealed her cards. But the melting of polar ice caps, the
gradual rise in global temperatures, and the fierceness of the
2005 Atlantic hurricane season (which included the devastat-
ing Hurricane Katrina) are all backed by scientific data and
estimates for the future.
R.K. Pachauri, Ph.D., chairman of the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change, said that the topic of climate change
has evolved from the scientific curiosity it once was. Related
events in the past few years, he adds, have been important in
shaping public perception of related topics.
“Certainly, Vice President Gore’s film had an impact,” said
Pachauri, who was trained as an industrial engineer. “But more
recently, I think the reports of the IPCC that really had a major
impact, as well. And the media has picked up the findings of
the report and really disseminated them on a wide scale all
over the world.”
Something in the air
According to an IPCC report released in April, current trends of
global climate are becoming more likely to cause permanent ef-
fects. Most land masses are experiencing warmer temperatures
year after year, resulting in fewer cold days and nights and more
frequent hot days and nights. These factors could give way to in-
sect outbreaks, greater demand for cooling energy, lower air qual-
ity, and increased human mortality. According to the IPCC, the
likelihood this trend will continue is greater than 99 percent.
“We’ve had an acceleration of warming trends because
emissions of greenhouse gases have been going up,” Pachauri
said. “The concentration has increased substantially. As a re-
sult, there’s been an escalation of changes in the climate in the
past eight to nine years, or I would say even longer.”
The report foretells a growing number of areas affected by
drought, which could cause crop damage, death to livestock,
increased risks of wildfires, and shortages of food and water.
Some geographic areas may experience more precipitation
than suitable, resulting in soil erosion, water supply con-
tamination, respiratory and skin diseases, and commerce and
transportation distruptions.
The report also feeds ongoing fears of increased intensity
among tropical cyclones and hurricanes. Destructive winds
and flooding, power outages, water shortages, and increased
risks of injury and death are stinging reminders of the 2005
damage path in the southeastern United States created by hur-
ricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma. The three storms resulted in
hundreds of deaths and billions in costs for recovery and re-
building efforts that are still underway two years after the first
storm made landfall. Rising sea levels, as high as 2,100 feet
above sea level along coastal regions and further inland, are
considered a threatening possibility, according to the report.
“All of this has added to the perception of the public that
something is happening [with respect to climate change],”
Pachauri added.
With such catastrophic possibilities being considered, the
question arises: How did it reach this point?
While blame is often tagged to various nations or industries
by policy critics and environmental activists, global warming
hasn’t always been humanity’s creation. The Earth’s evolution
over millions of years — including eras of extreme cold and heat
— has played a role in depositing carbon dioxide and similar
gases into the atmosphere. But for more than 125 years, humans
have been transforming fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, coal, etc.)
and chemical vapors into operating energy. The resulting carbon
dioxide emissions have increased temperatures at certain levels
of the atmosphere, thickening the planet’s ozone layer and trap-
ping heat delivered to the Earth by the sun that would otherwise
leave the atmosphere in a single revolution.
One of the most significant policies in the worldwide reduc-
tion of carbon dioxide has been the Kyoto Protocol, a land-
mark agreement ratified in 1997 by dozens of industrialized
countries to reduce greenhouse gases to 1990 level by 2012.
While many nations have been working to honor the policy,
others have tried instituting their own global warming reduc-
tion plans. Earlier this year, Germany proposed an agenda by
which global atmospheric temperatures would not be allowed
to increase by more than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahr-
enheit) before being brought back down through conservation
September 2007 29
special report:
turning down the heat
initiatives. Scientists say that such a plan would mean a carbon
dioxide reduction of 50 percent below 1990 levels by 2050.
The United States — arguably the global leader in greenhouse
gas emissions — has not ratified the Kyoto Protocol or any other
international agreement for combating global warming. The cost
to initiate such an agenda in the United States often fills the debate
between those who believe the superpower country should ratify it
and those who don’t. Between 1990 and 2004, total greenhouse
gas emissions rose 16 percent, according to the most recent data
from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The dominant
gas emitted was carbon dioxide at 19.6 percent, but hydrofluo-
rocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride increased
by 58 percent. Methane emissions decreased by 10 percent and
nitrous oxide emissions dropped by 2 percent.
Saving face
Regardless of a lack of global warming legislation, many Ameri-
can businesses are investing in green initiatives that shape over-
all business strategy, manufacturing processes, and energy use
to comply with environmental standards. Doug Kiss, an energy
kaizen expert with TBM Consulting Group, said that industries
are paying attention to societal changes and reflecting the growing
public popularity of pro-environment agendas. Moral lines such
as eco-friendly business practices, he said, are playing a heavier
role today in determining a company’s bottom line.
“To be green means we’re not wasting,” Kiss said. “We’re
using our current assets. Right now is not a time when a lot of
people are spending a lot of capital.”
He added that green companies are also examining their
own processes and expanding conservation of basic resources
such as water and electricity so that they can curb the tempta-
tion to pass on costs to consumers. “It’s about challenging the
use that we currently have and finding out from our own folks
within our own organizations — what is it we can do to reduce
the consumption and the cost so that we don’t have to pass on
an increase to our customers?”
Globally, conservation and cost-cutting can be difficult to bal-
ance, but hazardous waste totals — which include production
waste — have subsided in many countries. Data released in April
by the United Nations shows that non-recyclable and hazardous
manufacturing, industrial site, and mining materials have steadily
dropped between 1990 and 2005. Hazardous waste generation

production waste around the world

*2005 data volunteered to U.N. Finland
2,312 tons

Kyrgyzstan
United Kingdom
6,309 tons
5,202 tons

Germany
18,110 tons

China*
Italy
United States* 11,436 tons
5,280 tons
34,238 tons
Spain
3,478 tons
Ukraine
61,916 tons

The United Nations describes hazardous waste as materials containing toxic, infectious, radioactive, or flammable properties that
pose an actual or potential hazard to the health of humans, other living organisms, or the environment. Although countries are asked
to report annual data on hazardous waste totals, most countries are not able to do so every year. The totals shown here are the latest
data from industrialized countries that reported data for 2004.
Source: United Nations

30 Industrial Engineer
top ten u.s. carbon dioxide emissions
1 Texas
1990 = 586.82 mmtCO2
2003 = 694.08 mmtCO2
2 California
1990 = 361.21 mmtCO2
2003 = 384.04 mmtCO2
10
3 Pennsylvania
1990 = 260.34 mmtCO2 8
2003 = 266.83 mmtCO2
4 Ohio


1990 = 243.04 mmtCO2
2003 = 260.67 mmtCO2 4 3
5 Florida
7 6
1990 = 186.35 mmtCO2
2003 = 241.67 mmtCO2 2
6 Indiana
1990 = 201.25 mmtCO2
2003 = 228.24 mmtCO2
7 Illinois
1990 = 192.17 mmtCO2
2003 = 226.63 mmtCO2
8 New York


1990 = 207.94 mmtCO2
2003 = 213.69 mmtCO2
1
9 Louisiana 9


1990 = 191.02 mmtCO2
2003 = 188.67 mmtCO2 5
10 Michigan
1990 = 180.33 mmtCO2
2003 = 182.50 mmtCO2

Carbon dioxide emissions in the United States as of 2003-04, highlighting the 10 highest states. Between 1990 and 2003, the EPA
says the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere from fossil fuel combustion by the United States rose by 17.4 percent, from
5,005.3 mmtCO2 (million metric tons of carbon dioxide) in 1990 to 5,877.7 mmtCO2 in 2003.
Source: EPA

in the United States has dropped from 272,957 tons in 1990 to
34,238 tons in 2005. Under a new Waste Act signed into law in
1998, the Czech Republic dropped from 2,588 tons in 2000 to
1,350 tons in 2005. Ukraine saw a reduction from 127,596 tons in
1995 to 61,916 tons in 2004 (the latest data available).
Other nations, however, have seen a jump in hazardous
waste generation. China has leapt from 8,168 tons in 2000
to 11,436 tons in 2005; Germany increased from 12,872 tons
in 1990 to 18,110 tons in 2004; and the United Kingdom rose
from 2,890 tons in 1990 to 5,201 tons in 2004.
A green-oriented image, Kiss said, is helpful to businesses and
policymakers alike because it reflects a social consciousness. Con-
sumers feel better when they are purchasing green products or
from a company that incorporates eco-friendly business process-
es and operations, he said. More often today than 20 years ago, a
company can find greater, more profitable success if it can build a
reputation associated with such measures. But Kiss stressed that
spiraling energy costs also motivate companies to look for ways to
reduce loss rather than build profit expectations.
“For lack of better expression, this has been the land of milk
and honey for cheap energy for a long time,” he said. “The
simple example would be the configuration of a hose nozzle.
Did we ever look at gallons per minute when we bought this
thing? The pattern and the pressure behind it, how we’re using
it? Our own history of being the land of plenty comes back to
haunt us sometimes, I think.”
IE moves
The IPCC has identified measures that can be implemented
in commercial and industrial sectors to produce long-term,
eco-friendly results. For example, though resistance may make
such goals difficult to reach, the reduction of fossil fuel subsi-
dies and taxes or carbon charges on fossil fuels could help con-
serve the global energy supply. Renewable energy technology
could also contribute to conservation in markets where low
emission mechanisms can be used. Local availability of low-
cost fuel could also invigorate renewable energy incentives.
In goods distribution, parties could apply mandatory fuel
economy, biofuel blending, and carbon dioxide standards for
road transport, although partial coverage could limit a vehicle
fleet’s effectiveness. Countries developing new transportation
systems could benefit from infrastructure planning and invest-
ments in public and non-motorized transport stations. New
industrial technologies could create opportunities for perfor-
mance and energy benchmarking, standards, and tax credits,
while voluntary agreements could provide success through clear
targets, third-party design and monitoring, and close coopera-
tion between government and industry.
The IPCC notes that government support through financial
contributions, tax credits, standard setting, and market creation
is important for effective technology development, innovation,
and employment. But the expansion of globalization with re-
spect to green technology largely depends on political agree-

September 2007 31
special report:
turning down the heat
ments and financing. Pachauri, however, said he didn’t believe Kiss said that numerous industries are adopting green ap-
politics was necessarily a dead end for green initiatives. proaches to their manufacturing processes, especially in the
“I think, at the moment, what we really need to do is use aerospace and defense, food, and general process industries.
existing technologies to improve energy efficiency,” he said. The process industry, he said, tends to use more energy in
“This applies to everything including auto- large-scale plants, often with operations run-
mobiles — which should be made far more ning around the clock seven days a week. But
fuel efficient — homes that are overheated or among industrial engineering methods, the
overcooled, and all that can be done with ex- biggest movement toward combating global
isting technology and know-how.” warming emissions has been found in total
He added that alternative fuels will need production maintenance within energy kai-
to be developed to stave off an energy crisis. zen, according to Kiss. For example, a piece of
Biomass, biofuels, solar, wind, and even tidal manufacturing equipment is generally made
energy would need to be used on a much larger up of metal, hydraulic, and electronic compo-
scale, he said, but none of those sources will nents. A building or facility is similar — a large
be used without higher prices associated with Doug Kiss steel frame with heating and air ventilation,
high-carbon fuels. “It’s those prices which will fire compression systems, and water supply.
bring out technological innovation and dissemination of those “When we look at consumption, it’s not only from a ma-
technologies,” Pachauri noted. chine point of view but also from a facility point of view,” Kiss

From IE to climate change guru

Pachauri says planet has eight years before greatest fears become reality
By David Brandt
When it comes to global warming, no one can tell R.K.
Pachauri that he never saw it coming.
Born in Nainital, India, Pachauri first became interested in
climate change in 1988, a time when the dangers of a warming
planet were considered no more than a gossiped theory outside of
a small portion of the scientific community. He was working on
energy and environmental issues but has since pursued his inter-
est in climate change. As the years have passed and more scientific
data has been collected to prove global warming exists, he notes
that there has been a substantial increase in public interest.
“We have much more scientific evidence now than 20 years
ago. We now have a wealth of information, analysis, and litera-
ture to validate what has been happening,” Pachauri said.
Much of Pachauri’s career has revolved around The Energy
and Resources Institute (TERI) for more than 25 years. He has
served as its director general since April 2001. TERI holds an in-
ternational presence as an influential research organization. With
offices located around southeast Asia, in London, and in Wash-
ington, D.C., TERI aims to nurture innovative and cost-effective
solutions for energy, environment, natural resources, and sustain-
able global development. The institute also provides support in
the areas of energy, environment, forestry, biotechnology, and the
conservation of natural resources to government departments, in-
stitutions, and corporate organizations worldwide.
“We have the means, we have the options by which people can
bring about substantial shifts and reductions in the emissions of
greenhouse gases,” Pachauri said. “We also identified that if we
want to stabilize the concentration of these gases, thereby stabiliz-
ing the climate, we really have a short window of time in which to
allow emissions to go and make sure they start declining.”
The window is smaller than most people may believe.
Pachauri said that the planet has a deadline of eight years by
which greenhouse gas emissions must start declining to pre-
vent long-term effects, such as major melting along the polar
region and rising sea levels. “That means by 2015, emissions
globally must start declining.”
He added that ultimately, political negotiations that are taking
place for greenhouse gas reductions must clearly identify what
needs to be done and how quickly. Despite his belief in society’s
ability to solve the problem, Pachauri admits that politics plays a
role in making global warming combat methods a reality. He said
the role of science and scientists is to inform politicians and the
public. If the public gets convinced that global warming is increas-
ing in intensity, he said, then politicians have no choice but to act

32 Industrial Engineer
said. “I think it’s an idea that’s paying back well for
quite a few companies.”
As the public debate over global warming has dras-
tically become louder in the past five years, business
and industry seem to be catching up with popular
opinion. From the perspective of major corporations,
a public face as a green enterprise is more necessary to
compete in the marketplace. When it comes to books
in a bookstore, the cover can only convince a reader
so far as to how good the story is on the inside.
To stall the effects of global warming and possibly re-
verse the continuing trends, tomorrow’s governments,
manufacturers, and distribution fleets will have to answer
the following question: Can we initiate a plan that lives up
to our organization’s green promise?
“Is it the primary concern of the company?” Kiss asked.
“I guess it would require a judgment call on whether they
even acknowledge global warming, wouldn’t it?” d
a stroke of lighting
In October 2006, the IIE headquarters near Atlanta added a touch
of green.
Overhead lights throughout the headquarter offices were re-
lamped with full-spectrum bulbs, which create the makeup of
natural light. The bulbs consume 80 percent less energy than
incandescent bulbs for the amount of light they produce and last
about five times longer.
“We had been using a mixture of various brands of cool white
lamps, which are a phosphor mix that is not balanced to natural
light,” said Donna Calvert, IIE corporate operations manager.
Full-spectrum lighting can create better visual clarity, reduce
eye strain and fatigue, and decrease glare from monitors and com-
puter screens that may cause headaches in workers. Calvert said
the reduction in even minor health risks driven by the new lighting
has increased worker satisfaction and productivity in addition to
other benefits. “We will realize fewer maintenance efforts and
fairly substantial cost savings, as well.”

helped him understand the role of technology — how it can be de-

R.K. Pachauri (left),
chairman of the
Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change, met
with U.N. Secretary
General Ban Ki-Moon
earlier this year to pres-
ent a report on the status
of global warming.
on the will of the people. “I believe science has an extremely im-
portant role [in combating global warming] and I believe it can
influence the course of politics.”
Pachauri’s career path has been different from many indus-
trial engineers. He began his career in manufacturing working
on diesel engines for Diesel Locomotive Works, where he also
held several management positions. He obtained a master’s
degree in industrial engineering in 1972 from North Caro-
lina State University. As he continued his education, Pachauri
maintained a minor in economics, a field he appreciated so
much that he decided to obtain a postgraduate degree.
Pachauri earned a doctorate in industrial engineering in 1974
and then a doctorate in economics from the university, leading
him to a faculty post in the department of economics and busi-
ness. He spent a year in 2000 as a McCluskey Fellow at the School
of Forestry and Environmental Studies at Yale University. He has
written 23 books, as well as several papers and articles.
Pachauri said his background in industrial engineering has
veloped and deployed. He said that technology plays a large part in
how other industrial engineers can participate in preventing con-
tinued global warming. The ability to develop and manufacture
devices embodying eco-friendly technology at costs that would
make them marketable will likely be the greatest challenge for
industrial engineers, he said. Project management is another area
where Pachauri said engineers can implement a green mindset.
“If we want to bring about the shift from current infrastruc-
ture, equipment, and technology — something that would be
small and carbon-friendly — then industrial engineers will
have an important role in translating those concepts into ac-
tual results on the ground,” he said.
Though his term as chairman of the IPCC ends next year,
Pachauri said he’s not concerned with re-election due to the im-
portance of matters at hand. Having seen effects of global warm-
ing around the world firsthand, from the melting arctic to the
rising sea levels along the coasts of his home country, Pachauri
said he is fearful for humanity’s well-being if it can’t alter negative
climate trends. He predicts rising sea levels, fresh water scarcity,
and risks to food security may grow at a quicker rate if changes
aren’t made by governments and industries to curb the long-term
effects of carbon dioxide and pollution emissions.
“We’re all inhabitants of spaceship Earth,” Pachauri said. “Any-
thing that happens at any part of the globe has implications for all
of us and we need to start thinking along those lines.”
“To the limited extent that I can help to bring about a shift
in thinking, I’m certainly going to do that.” d

September 2007 33