The planet has been in danger for a long time. Humans are causing and fighting deforestation, ocean acidification, and rising temperatures, to name a few of the serious problems facing our beloved Earth.
Technology has a key role to play in making our planet a more comfortable and sustainable place so that we can continue to move forward and live as a species . Technology is fundamentally changing the way we live, work, relate to each other and to the outside world. The speed, breadth and depth of current advances are unprecedented in history and are affecting almost every sector in every country. Now more than ever, the advent of new technologies has the potential to rise as the planet’s lifeline.
Let us remember that we consume more natural resources than the planet can regenerate and that no human technology can completely replace the “technology of nature” perfected over hundreds of millions of years to support life on Earth. Be that as it may, there are ways to help reduce this damage. How are you:
Less paper, more digital format
Fortunately, the digital revolution is helping a lot with deforestation. With more and more aspects of business (and personal life) going digital – we print less and less and less paper is required for many transactions – many organizations are moving toward reduced paper use . The rise of smartphones and apps in particular has helped reduce the need for paperwork when completing, for example, surveys or collecting data. Invoices, newsletters and other forms of communication are also now mainly in digital formats rather than hard copies of the old “snail mail.” There are also applications that are replacing notebooks, diaries, diaries … which reduces the need to cut down trees.
Solar glass
Can you imagine that all the windows in a building, be it a residential building or an office skyscraper, generate energy? Solar glass is what it promises. It is an emerging technology that is causing quite a stir in design and sustainability circles. As it seems, solar glass is a transparent material designed to replace windows that simultaneously captures the sun’s energy and converts it into electricity. Efficiency is your Achilles heel, for the moment. High-performance solar cells can achieve an efficiency of 25% or more, but maintaining transparency means sacrificing the efficiency with which light is converted to electricity. The University of Michigan is working on a solar glass material that offers 15% efficiency and lets in 50% light.
More sustainable homes
Our homes are getting smarter and more environmentally friendly. This technological revolution is leading the way for change (for the better) when it comes to helping the environment. A wide variety of devices such as smart meters and thermostats or motion-activated lighting sensors are helping to eliminate wasted electricity in the home. The same thing happens in the offices. Businesses and households consume less and less energy (and fuel) as they get smarter. And it can only be positive for our planet.
