Puts forward arguments proposing a new standard of professionalism in engineering, namely to practise the profession with an emphasis on engineers' responsibility to protect the long-range interests of the society they serve and, specifically, to incorporate the ethics of energy conservation and environmental preservation in everything they do. States this ethic can and should be practised in such a way as to cause no adverse effects upon mankind or on the world economy. Argues that with proper understanding, commitment and well-directed dissemination, this is an achievable goal. Supplies a practical example of how steam demand (power) for a university building was reduced from 110,000 lb/hr (13 860 g/s) to 40,000 lb/h (5040 g/s) while achieving the same result, while significantly reducing investment costs, by following the energy ethic and deriving simple, well-paced logic in design decisions.