COMMITTEES
SUSTAINABILITY
With a focus on Orange County-based members, the Sustainability Committee strives to educate and further the state of the practice of sustainability in three broad areas:
Partnership
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Provide networking and information exchange opportunities to our members by partnering with sustainable organizations such as USGBC, etc.
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Engage student members by developing guest lecture topics and course modules on current sustainable practices.
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Coordinate with other ASCE Orange County Branch Committees and institutes, ASCE OC Younger Member Forum, and with the ASCE LA Branch Sustainability Committee and the National ASCE/TAC Committee on Sustainability.
Rating Systems
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Advocate and provide resources to support the use of infrastructure rating systems.
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Recognize sustainability with a Branch award for Sustainable Project of the Year.
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Provide information and resources to encourage public agencies/owners to incorporate and adopt sustainability standards.
Education
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Promote and learn about active transportation infrastructure through organizing bike ride activities.
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Educate our members and the community at large about sustainable practices.
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Organize field trips to certified sustainable projects.
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Contribute to the body of knowledge of sustainable practices.
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Provide resources to ASCE members to obtain sustainability credentials: LEED AP, ENV SP, STP, etc.
ASCE NATIONAL
SUSTAINABILITY
"As the stewards of society's physical infrastructure, civil engineers must lead the next shift in sustainable planning, design, and construction. ASCE defines sustainability as "a set of environmental, economic and social conditions in which all of society has the capacity and opportunity to maintain and improve its quality of life indefinitely without degrading the quality, quantity or availability of natural, economic, and social resources."
ORANGE COUNTY SUSTAINABILITY PROJECT PROFILES
OC STREETCAR
The OC Streetcar is Orange County's first modern streetcar. In 2008, the cities of Santa Ana and Garden Grove began a partnership with the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) to develop a last-mile connection from the Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center to Garden Grove, providing greater mobility and transportation choices to the residents of both cities. Through extensive outreach and community engagement, a streetcar alternative was selected by City Council on August 5, 2014.
NEWPORT BEACH LEARNING CENTER
The new interdisciplinary Newport Beach Learning Center, located on Monrovia Avenue in the City of Newport Beach, California, provides a total of approximately 66,800 gross -sq.-ft., as well as hardscape and landscape. The project includes construction of a 260 spaces of on-site parking lot directly adjacent to the structure. Key sustainable features, such as storm water management, natural ventilation, green roofs, photovoltaic roofs, living walls, maximized daylight and views of the ocean, are highlighted to for LEED Platinum rating.
LEARN MORE ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY
History of the Sustainability Comittee
On January 16, 2008, the National ASCE Technical Advisory Committee on Sustainability published Sustainability Guidelines for ASCE Sections, Branches, and Student Chapters. Many ASCE Sections, including Los Angeles, started the formation of Sustainability Committees and our Branch has also demonstrated leadership in advancing sustainability by creating a committee.
ENVISION
Envision provides a holistic framework for evaluating and rating the community, environmental, and economic benefits of all types and sizes of infrastructure projects. It evaluates, grades, and gives recognition to infrastructure projects that use transformational, collaborative approaches to assess the sustainability indicators over the course of the project's life cycle.
This rating system is a collaboration between the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI) and the Zofnass program for Sustainable Infrastructure at the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University. ISI is a 501(c)(3) not for profit organization founded by the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), the American Public Works Association (APWA), and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).
The Role of the Civil Engineer in Sustainable Development
"Sustainable development is the challenge of meeting human needs while conserving and protecting the natural resource base essential for future development."
As the bridge between science and society, engineers must strengthen and broaden their education and find innovative ways to achieve needed development while conserving and preserving natural resources.
To achieve these objectives, ASCE promotes the following implementation strategies:
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Promote a broad understanding of economic, environmental, political, social, and technical issues and processes as related to sustainable development;
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Advance the skills, knowledge, and information necessary for a sustainable future; including habitats, natural systems, system flows, and the effects of all phases of the life cycle of projects on the ecosystem;
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Advocate economic approaches that recognize natural resources and our environment as capital assets;
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Promote multidisciplinary, whole system, integrated and multi-objective goals in all phases of project planning, design, construction, operations, and decommissioning;
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Promote reduction of vulnerability to natural, accidental, and willful hazards to be part of sustainable development; and
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Promote performance-based standards and guidelines as bases for voluntary actions and for regulations in sustainable development for new and existing infrastructure.
MEMBER RESOURCES
ASCE SUSTAINABILITY RESOURCES
SUSTAINABILITY RATING SYSTEMS
WELL AP
Building Standard
Credential
STATE OF CALIFORNIA ON SUSTAINABILITY
Active ASCE OC Branch members with genuine interest and experience in sustainability can apply to become a member of the Sustainability Committee. If you would like to be a member of this committee, please send an email to one of the Chairs with a paragraph describing your interest and qualifications. The Committee meets virtually once every month during lunch. Contact the Sustainability Committee Co-Chairs for more meeting information.
CHARLOTTE WU, PE, ENV SP, STP &
SAM ALI, PE, LEED AP, ENV SP
Sustainability Committee Co-Chairs
JANET FORDUNSKI, PE
MICHAEL PERKINS, PE
NATHAN CHASE, PE, LEED AP ND, ENV SP
NATHAN FORREST, PE, ENV SP
RAUL RODRIGUEZ, PE
RUTA BANDZIULIS, EIT
SALEM AFEWORKI, ENV SP, LEED GA
SHERRY WEINMEIER, PE, LEED AP, ENV SP
TONIA WANG, PE
Sustainability Committee Members