How Engineers Can Reduce Vehicle Emissions - a PDH Online Course for Engineers

How Engineers Can Reduce Vehicle Emissions

Course Outline

This is a two-hour course intended to educate engineers about an aspect of the environment that involves them on a daily basis and get them excited about their own potential to participate in environmental improvement. The first part of the course explains health and environmental problems such as air toxics, urban smog, and global climate change that are created in part by vehicle emissions. The second part of the course shows how engineers can serve as leaders in their workplaces and communities by taking steps to help reduce these problems. The steps discussed include properly maintaining a vehicle, saving gas and increasing mileage efficiency, considering a retrofit to a vehicle's air conditioner, and choosing the right vehicle for individual needs.

This course includes a multiple choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of the course materials.

Learning Objective

In this course you will learn about:

Health and environmental problems caused by vehicle emissions;
The part that engineers can play in reducing vehicle emissions;
How to properly change your own motor oil;
Driving tips to reduce vehicle emissions and save you money;
When to consider an air conditioner retrofit and what it entails; and
The various "clean cars" on the market, their differences and advantages.

Intended Audience

Engineering is traditionally a highly regarded profession. People in the workplace and community look up to engineers and expect them to have knowledge of all things engineering. But, many engineers fill technical roles or project management roles that do not touch on environmental engineering topics like air quality. This course is intended for these engineers to learn more about mobile source emissions and the role they can play in reducing them.

Benefit to Attendees

In addition to earning PDH credits, this course educates engineers about an aspect of the environment that involves them on a daily basis and it gets them excited about their own potential to participate in environmental improvement. It also helps engineers strive toward 'knowledge of all things engineering' so as to uphold the high regard of the profession.

Course Introduction

Cars are a major source of air pollution in the United States. Vehicle emissions contribute to health and environmental problems such as air toxics, urban smog, and global warming. But there are many steps that you as an engineer can take to help reduce these problems. To become part of the solution, read on.

Course Content

The course content is in a PDF file (96 KB) How Engineers Can Reduce Vehicle Emissions. You need to open or download this document to study this course.

Course Content

A) The Problem
Air Toxics
Urban Smog
Global Warming
B) What Can Engineers Do?
1. Maintain Your Vehicle
a. On Board Diagnostics
b. Routine Maintenance
c. Properly Changing Your Own Motor Oil
2. Save Gas and Increase Mileage Efficiency
3. Retrofit Your Air Conditioner
4. Choose the Right Vehicle
a. Cleaner Gas Cars
b. Hybrid Electric Vehicles
c. Alternative Fuel Vehicles
d. Electric Vehicles
e. Fuel Cell Vehicles

Course Summary

In this course you've learned that vehicles are a significant source of air pollution in the United States. Their emissions contribute to health and environmental problems. Fortunately, you have also learned that there is something engineers can do to help reduce these problems. By maintaining your vehicle, saving gas and increasing mileage efficiency, considering a retrofit to your vehicle's air conditioner, and choosing the right vehicle, you will serve as a role model and source of information to others in your workplace and community.

Quiz

Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.

DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.