Technology is, without a doubt, a constant presence in our everyday lives. We use it for pretty much everything we do, we depend on it and people will continue to demand and influence a perpetual technological progress. Technology has helped make our lives better – we can travel faster and easier, we use it in order to communicate, to do business, to learn or simply for our own enjoyment.
Even though the technological boom has had some unfortunate side-effects, we are all aware about the fact that there are numerous environmental challenges today that can be addressed with the help of the green technologies. This term is used to describe technologies that are used in order to diminish or even reverse the effect of human activities on the environment. Green technologies, renewable energy, recycling, these are all crucial tools the world needs in order to help preserve the planet.
Why we need renewable energy?
Currently the world relies to a great degree on fossil fuel such as oil, coal and natural gas as a source of energy. About two-thirds of electricity usage and the majority of non-electrical sources are represented by this type of fuel . Fossil fuel resources are nonrenewable; their use is not sustainable due to the fact that their formation takes billions of years and it’s also a well-known fact that the burning of fossil fuel is severely damaging the environment, while it’s also a contributing factor to the global warming and the climate change. The alternative to using such resources is the use of renewable ones, like solar or wind power, water, geothermal and bioenergy.
Recycling
Recycling is something most people know about, but few do. Recycling has many benefits and it helps protect the environment, due to the fact that it reduces the need for extracting, refining and processing materials. These processes are responsible for polluting the air (from incineration) and the water (from landfilling); it helps save energy and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Recycling isn’t something that applies only to industrial waste, it should be an important part of our everyday life; we can recycle at home, at school and we can definitely recycle where we work. Just thinking about the things we simply throw away, at home or at the office, we realize that we could actually play a more active role in saving our planet. Recycling paper or empty printer cartridges isn’t such a difficult job for anyone.
Organic batteries as a way to store energy
Organic flow batteries may become the answer to the energy storage problem. This is a type of rechargeable battery that uses the electrochemistry of organic molecules rather than metals. The Harvard researchers report that this type of battery can be applied on a power-grid scale and it uses small, abundant organic compounds called quinones. These are a lot less expensive than the electrocatalysts from precious metals (such as platinum), and can be found in green plants or synthesized from crude oil. Due to the fact that it uses organic molecules, the organic flow battery reduces the costs immensely.
Electrofuel
Electrofuels are another option when it comes to renewable methods of creating energy. They represent a carbon neutral source of energy that uses microbial electrosynthesis in order to convert carbon dioxide into fuels and other products. Creating energy through electrofuels is a fascinating process; basically, researchers are feeding carbon dioxide to microorganisms, and then they run an electric current through the tank in which they are grown. Producing electrofuels is safe for the environment and it can be a promising source of alternative energy.
Lightning
The invention of the light bulb has completely changed people’s lives. But the traditional incandescent light bulb actually consumes a lot more energy that needed, which called for an energy-efficient lightning solution. This is how the light-emitted diode (LED) came to be. This system can operate on a smaller amount of energy; compared to the incandescent bulbs – which release 90 percent of their energy in heat – LEDs are using energy more efficiently with little wasted heat. This is a fast developing technology, which leads to more products being made and lower prices, making them even more affordable with time.
Developing green technologies definitely plays a huge role in our fight to preserve nature and human life. Knowing more about renewable energy and green technologies is a step forward towards making the necessary changes in order to save our planet.
