On borrowed time — the urgent need to save the Earth

By : Michael Gibb

Professor Chen Guohua, a chemical engineer by training with over thirty years of experience in research, university administration and industry, speaks with some urgency about the critical need to sustain the message of sustainability.

“Time is short,” he warns. “We have to act immediately and decisively if we are going to clean up the planet and ensure that life on Earth is maintainable.”

All in it together

The need to collectively modify the way we live is imperative, he continues, adding that collaboration across the world is essential. The major world economies, both developing and developed nations, must lay economic, political or cultural differences aside and pull together, he explains, emphasising that the science on climate change is undeniably clear.

“Extreme weather is likely to be a problem. We might have cold summers and hot winters in the future, droughts and flooding in coastal regions around the globe,” says Professor Chen. Professor Chen, who took over as Dean of SEE in September 2022, says, as a researcher on sustainability, we need to practice what we preach. Researchers in universities must pass on their knowledge from their research and at the same time, be exemplary of sustainable lifestyles.

 

 

 

“People can’t alter their behaviour overnight. We have to be persistent in our messaging. We can improve people’s lives and make them more comfortable by encouraging innovative technologies,” he says.

Professor Chen’s first links with industry and research began in the paper manufacturing business in Canada where he focused on making production more efficient by saving energy and similar projects on the manufacturing of tissue paper.

“As a chemical engineer, we are trained in basic principles that can be applied to a rich variety of processes. In fact, when I came to Hong Kong, I started working on the treatment of industrial wastewaters. Later on, I realised the importance of energy in the protection of the environment. Because of my expertise in electrochemistry for the environment, I branched out into the field of energy conversion and storage about 15 years ago,” he says.

SEE’s critical mission

The energy and environment situation on Earth is grim but it’s not all unwelcome news, says Professor Chen, who identifies several positives.

“A few decades ago we didn’t fully know about the dangers that CO₂ and SO₂ posed to the environment, and now that we do, we can take action. We also know that even if we rid a city of smog, we need to deal with the danger presented by less visible airborne pollutants and particulate matter,” he says.

Professor Chen GuohuaAnd of course, SEE is a huge bonus for Hong Kong and internationally, playing a key role in tackling many energy and environmental problems. The new Dean is determined to uphold SEE’s mission to maintain SEE’s expertise in cutting-edge research in energy and environment and training.

“Our know-how lies in advancing research in targeted themes in energy, environment, and sustainability, educating engineers and professionals in adopting holistic approaches to local and international problems in related fields, and maintaining a collaborative atmosphere for interdisciplinary research objectives,” he says.

“We are especially committed to sustainable technologies for energy, environment and health; urban atmospheric and aquatic environment; and smart and healthy cities, among others,” he adds.

Conceptual change

Partnerships are key since research areas identified by SEE require multidisciplinary input, especially in areas such as energy conversion, harvesting, storage, and efficient use.

“CityU has experts in many related fields in other departments and SEE will continue to collaborate closely with excellent colleagues across campus,” he says. In addition to research and discovery, Professor Chen is a firm believer in encouraging conceptual change, i.e., presenting alternative perspectives. For example, waste should not be seen as waste.

“Earth has a finite set of resources, and so we need to see waste as a utilisable resource, too, not as something to throw away. If we can minimise consumption and produce less waste, we will all benefit,” he says.

Ultimately, we can each play our part by using less energy. This, according to Professor Chen, is fundamental to saving our planet: reduce the consumption of fossil resources and increase our use of sustainable resource so that we can hand over sufficient resources to those who come after us.