<p>I heard something saying that in the future, engineers will be needed a lot for companies for the "push for green" or something. Does this mean that environmental engineers, material engineers, chemical engineers will be really needed in the future?</p>
<p>Green techniques, or more environmentally-sound ways of doing things, are being looked at by all kinds of engineers. Everyone's trying to make their own field, be it Elec or MechE or ChemE or CivE or Aerospace, a little better for the earth. The thing you were hearing was probably saying that since we're having to reinnovate technologies everywhere to make them more earth-friendly, the demand for engineers to come up with new processes is going to be high. It's not necessarily limited to a particular field of engineering, though.</p>
<p>sounds like a impractical fad.</p>
<p>Eh. In some ways, yes. In other ways, no. Steel mills have cut down on emissions and concrete plants have figured out ways to reduce the amount of wastewater they pump back into the ecosystem. Some of the ways we design buildings now cut down on energy bills, which clients like. So the "green approach" has produced some direct benefits that are both easily visible and financially sound. I figure it's probably a good idea that people are at least starting to be more aware of ways to take care of what they've got.</p>
<p>"Green" things are sometimes also power saving or material saving things, which become money saving things. In that sense it isn't an impractical fad at all. Also, if they keep regulating stuff it isn't impractical, it's necessary. Or the jobs will disappear due to over regulation, but that's a whole other can of worms.</p>