ASHRAE Insights

Expanding one’s horizons and putting one’s knowledge to work for others will be key themes of the speakers for the 2007 ASHRAE Annual Meeting in Long Beach, Calif.

The plenary speaker, Bertrand Piccard, set a world record for the longest balloon flight. His presentation is expected to be philosophical in nature.

The first speaker for a Meeting Technical Program, Bernard Amadei, founded an organization that uses the talents of engineers in charitable efforts around the world.

Bertrand Piccard

Bertrand Piccard’s nonstop circumnavigation of the Earth in his Breitling Orbiter balloon in 1999 set a milestone in aviation.
As keynote speaker, he will share his experiences and how his vision plays a role in the future of engineering. Piccard speaks at the Plenary Session, Saturday, June 23. Registration is not required to attend.
In his lecture, Adventure is a State of Mind: the Metaphor of the First Around-the-World Balloon Flight, Piccard will explain how flying in a balloon symbolizes a new relationship between humans, technology and nature.
In this metaphor of life, the balloon is prisoner of the air currents, just as man is prisoner of his convictions, problems or fate. But in the same way as a balloon changes altitude to find the currents that will drive it in a new direction, man can rise professionally, psychologically, philosophically or even spiritually, to become responsible for the direction of his life.
Albert Einstein once said, ‘the people who are best at Plan B are the most successful.’ Finding Plan B is the story of circling the world in a balloon.”
“While ASHRAE members’ technical tools and skills are indispensable, they will learn that the spirit in which they use them is what is most important,” said ASHRAE president Terry Townsend, P.E.
After qualifying as a balloon pilot, Piccard won, with Wim Verstraeten, the first transatlantic balloon race (Chrysler Challenge, 1992) and then initiated the “Breitling Orbiter” project. As captain of the three attempts, he accomplished, along with Brian Jones, the first nonstop round-the-world balloon flight, achieving the longest flight in terms of both duration and distance in history: 45,755 kilometers in 19 days, 21 hours and 47 minutes (capturing a total of seven world records).

Bernard Amadei

The world’s population is expected to increase by 2 billion people in the next two decades. This will generate unprecedented demand for energy, food, water, land, transportation, waste disposal, health care and infrastructure.
The role of engineers will be critical in fulfilling those demands.
“As we enter the first half of the 21st century, the engineering profession must embrace a new mission statement—to contribute to the building of a more sustainable, stable and equitable world,” said Bernard Amadei, Ph.D.
Amadei is the founding president of Engineers Without Borders-USA and the co-founder of the Engineers Without Borders-International network.
Amadei serves as the keynote speaker, kicking off the technical program. His presentation takes place on Sunday, June 24. A meeting badge is required to attend.
The mission of EWB-USA is to partner with disadvantaged communities to improve their quality of life through implementation of sustainable engineering projects, while training internationally responsible engineering professionals and students.
Amadei says a new generation of engineers must be trained who can better meet the challenges of the developing world and address the needs of the most destitute people. Today, an estimated 20% of the world’s population lacks clean water, 40% lacks adequate sanitation and 20% lacks adequate housing.
His presentation will focus on the challenges and opportunities with practicing engineering as well as the education of engineering. He also will discuss the importance of integrating engineering with non-engineering disciplines when addressing the needs of developing communities.
“I’m excited about the challenges and opportunities given to ASHRAE,” said ASHRAE president Terry Townsend, P.E. “Our technology and expertise is without borders.”
Amadei is a professor of civil engineering at the University of Colorado at Boulder. His current interests include sustainability and international development. At the University of Colorado at Boulder, he is leading a new paradigm shift in engineering education and practice called earth systems engineering. It emphasizes the interaction between the built environment and natural systems.
As part of the ESE initiative, Amadei directs a new program for developing communities, with a mission to educate globally responsible engineering students and professionals who can offer sustainable and appropriate solutions to the endemic problems faced by developing communities.
One of Amadei’s goals is to promote sustainable development, appropriate technology, service learning, and system thinking in the curriculum and research of civil engineering programs at CU Boulder and other U.S. universities.
He is working on a new book, Engineering with Soul.