Gore illustrated this point by discussing challenges that engineers are uniquely positioned to address, such as improving infrastructure to withstand new extreme weather patterns resulting from climate change. Hurricane Ida brought unprecedented rainfall and flooding to New York City, resulting in multiple fatalities. “There are infrastructure issues that need engineering solutions, now that the weather is so different,” she said. “Our systems haven’t been designed for it.”
She highlighted the need for innovation to replace harmful materials like plastics with sustainable, biodegradable alternatives. This shift, she noted, requires engineers to work with a broader ethical lens that prioritizes the health of communities and ecosystems.
At the same time, Gore cautioned against overreliance on technological “fixes” like carbon capture, geoengineering, and solar radiation management—approaches she described as steeped in “moral hazard.” These technologies, she explained, often serve as distractions that delay essential efforts to reduce emissions at the scale required to address the crisis.
Gore closed by drawing parallels to the Apollo mission era, when President John F. Kennedy challenged engineers and scientists to put a man on the moon within a decade. “And here we are now, full speed ahead. Instead of going to the moon, we’re trying to stay here on earth—and we need the help of engineers.”
In a statement after the seminar, Professor Steiner affirmed that “it is extremely important for engineering graduate students to consider these environmental and ethical concerns. Given the urgency of the climate crisis, I hope this new generation of researchers will steer their research efforts towards mitigating and solving this pressing problem.”