Print12.2 Choosing a Topic
As the first step (Milestone 1), you need to choose a particular technology for developing your assessment and implementation scenario. It should be relatively new and show promise for sustainable development. The topic can represent a specific manufacturing process, approach, device, design, or a conversion system. You may decide to choose something close to your professional area, as in that case, you will know better where to find information, technical data, technology status etc. However, it does not have to be in your professional area and can be just a topic of your special interest. In that case, you can use this project as a vehicle to develop your expertise.
Some generic examples of project topics can include:
- an innovative method for wastewater treatment
- a new construction material implemented in a high performance building
- an novel approach to grow food locally in urban environment
- a way to replace toxic chemicals in consumer product
- a technology to efficiently produce fuel from CO2
- a recyclable product design
- off-grid cheap power for displaced communities...
These are just examples that should in no way limit your scope.
I would discourage you from choosing something of extra large scale - topics like "everything about carbon storage and sequestration" or "solar power" or "off-shore wind".. These topics do not really identify a specific technology - they are mainly industrial sectors that may contain multiple tech, both old and new, and you need to focus on something tangible. In such cases I will ask you to narrow down your focus. Furthermore, if the technology is relatively well established and implemented broadly, you may be just re-iterating the work that has already been done (and that's a bit boring..). Search for some newer and fun things to evaluate!
Frankly, you do not need to invent. Search up and pick an emerging or developing technology and give it a thorough assessment to evaluate its promise. But remember that such an assessment would only make sense and have value when you tie it to a specific economic, social, and environmental context.
Always think where, when, and how this technology will be set to work.
Furthermore, you are encouraged to explore how your project topic and goals of your assessment line up versus the seventeen UN Sustainability Goals. When you submit the final version of your proposal, you will be asked to specifically reflect on those connections in the Introduction, but you can also include those ideas in your topic justification paragraph (your submission for Milestone 1).
