What do you think are the greatest contributions tribology can make in moving humans toward the goal of sustainable living?
TLT Sounding Board October 2014
STLE members emphasized the energy-conserving benefits to the planet of simply reducing friction. More than most, STLE members know that a third of all energy is lost to friction. TLT readers saw an active role for tribology in such areas as developing more specialized and environmentally friendly lubricants, expanding research into micro- and nanoscale technology and enhancing recycling and reusing strategies. By a five-to-one margin, survey respondents said the responsibility for achieving sustainable living is on individuals, not governments. “Understand the concept of living within your means and educate yourself on sustainable living,” said one respondent. Added another: “Take care of our planet—this isn’t a trial run!”
Take a realistic look at some new lubricant technology such as PAGs.
Friction reduction (less heat, less energy consumption).
Reduce failed machines or machine components in any kind of industrial or consumer gadget caused by either wear or corrosion.
Overcome barriers to enable new energy-efficient technologies that involve moving parts. In particular, wind, tidal and hydro. Also, solve problems in nuclear energy system reliability since nuclear is proven to provide significant energy resources if managed correctly.
Use high-performance biodegradable lubricants.
Maintenance managers must be educated, as sadly not many understand and/or use tribology as part of their strategy.
Oil recycling.
Use environmental lubes.
Better tribological performance decreases power consumption, increases life and, therefore, improves sustainability.
Lower-viscosity products and longer oil drain intervals.
Permanent type of synthetic (non-hydrocarbon) lubricants.
Anything that will help our cars, trucks, etc., and industry equipment, in general, consume less energy.
Maximize lubricant efficiencies including extended life and biodegradability.
Reduce the amount of energy needed to run machines. Have lubricants last a long time to reduce energy needed to produce them. Ensure lubricants can be recycled/ reused.
Educate the masses on the importance of clean, reliable and specialized lubricants. Tribology can empower humans by creating behaviors and actions aimed at reducing our levels of energy consumptions and maximizing impact of long-term sustainable living.
Continue to review with each additive the costs versus the benefits, not only in terms of producing the product but also in what impact these additives will have on human health.
Develop 100 percent sustainable lubricants.
Advanced lubricants from renewable materials.
Efficiency in transportation, manufacturing, sports, etc. Light footprint in lifecycle of lubricants.
Tribology can provide oils and greases that last longer to reduce the amount of waste generated.
Micro- and nanoscale technology.
Get more from less.
Improve efficiencies in mechanical devices across the board—from small equipment to large engines such as those found on ocean-going vessels.
Improve life of crucial infrastructure equipment.
Increase runtime.
Tribology, in one form or another, plays a critical role in just about everything humans do or care about. I think our greatest contributions will come from continuing to develop our understanding of friction and ways to control or alter it to our benefit.
Don’t use borons or secondary amines in coolants so they can be disposed of without destroying the environment.
Create lubrication solutions that not only have a neutral effect on the environment but actually improve it.
Develop more products using components made with renewable resources and minimize the amount of energy required to manufacture both components and finished products.
Study non-invasive products.
Grease the wheels of industry.
Biodegradable lubricants.
Tribology can make the greatest contribution to sustainable living by improving fuel efficiency of vehicles for personal and commercial transportation.
I think we are in a sustainable mode already using all resources currently available to us. How this issue is portrayed by the media and others influences how specific resources are viewed as good or bad.
If we continue to enhance recycling and reusing products in use daily as we strive to lessen our impact on the environment, we will be a responsible contributing organization in society.
Who has the greater responsibility in helping to achieve sustainable living?
Governments
16%
Individuals
84%
Based on responses sent to 13,000 TLT readers.
What are the most important actions humans can take to move us toward the goal of sustainable living?
Forecast, plan and conserve.
Ensure that what we consume is replaced and what we produce can be returned for others to use.
Humans must learn to explore reusable energy sources as a means of cutting consumption in order to achieve the goal of sustainable living such as wind turbines and solar-powered irrigation systems.
Understanding more fully the concept and practical application of cradle to grave for the products that are used and the raw materials plus energy required to make and use them.
Stop excessive reproduction.
Live in a way that reduces wasted energy consumption.
Help others understand that this goal can be furthered in a positive way without the acrimony and anti-industrial image so often associated with environmental groups that appear to be ignorant of basic economics.
Passion.
Build cob houses and grow your own vegetables.
Reduce usage of petroleum.
Become more environmentally conservative.
Reduce, reuse, recycle.
Reduce our pollution and reduce our consumption of non-renewable resources.
Competent and efficient use of natural resources.
Reduce the population.
We need to be able to recycle or reuse as much as possible. We need to drastically reduce our dependence on fossil fuel to generate our power, and we need new technologies and processes to make better use of human waste.
Reduce the number of humans.
Respect for their fellow human being. Avoid the NIMBY syndrome. Be willing to engage in some sacrifice for the good of all. Along with conserving energy, prevent pollution.
Leave it to the free market.
Stand strong to your beliefs and don’t be influenced by media or others in how resources are viewed and utilized. Technology is there to make coal or nuclear or any other form OK for use.
Learn to recycle as much as possible and use products made from recycled or renewable materials.
We lack definitions, ways to measure progress, procedures and targets for sustainability in specific locations, domestic and international. We are starting from scratch. The most important actions humans can take in the U.S., short-term, are to make use of mass transportation, drive fuel-efficient vehicles and recycle paper, plastics and electronics, as well as tree branches, yard waste, etc.
Learn about which items are causing damage to our ecosystems and then go about finding alternative sources that are beneficial for everyone.
Reduce consumption. Be frugal. But businesses also must not keep pushing products to people through sales, discounts, etc. All these add to waste.
Use common sense. Remove political ambition and greed from the equation. Eliminate the global-warming, carbon-capture, fear-mongering activities that many of our so-called leaders have devised to redistribute power and wealth without improvements in living.
Working toward and using environmentally neutral products that will not harm the environment.
Lower waste.
We need to realize that it doesn’t take that much extra effort to turn off unused lights and reduce our water consumption, yet it would make a big difference.
Work. Force all able bodied to work if they want to eat and live.
Extended use of many goods. Minimizing energy usage.
Waste not...
Think about the environment every day. Remember that every interaction we have with the environment, from choosing where to place trash to the temperature setting on a thermostat, has an affect on our environment longer than we reside on this planet.
Peace.
Keep on keeping on.
Research.
What would you estimate is the time frame before oil, coal and nuclear are no longer Mankind’s primary energy sources?
11-20 years
9%
21-30 years
13%
31-40 years
17%
>40 years but will happen
42%
It’ll never happen
19%
Based on responses sent to 13,000 TLT readers.
Editor’s Note: Sounding Board is based on an e-mail survey of 13,000 TLT readers. Views expressed are those of the respondents and do not reflect the opinions of the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers. STLE does not vouch for the technical accuracy of opinions expressed in Sounding Board, nor does inclusion of a comment represent an endorsement of the technology by STLE.