Saving environment with technology is helping us build better ecosystems or remedy the damages done to the environment by employing both organic and inorganic techniques for a cleaner planet.
Technology has helped us simplify our lives. It has made the world a smaller place, assisted in fighting off the deadliest diseases, and solved the most complicated problems for us. The next problem that stands before us is that of the ecological changes we face. Keeping in mind the potential technology has, environmental scientists are now saving the environment with technology.
Saving environment with technology
Though technology and environment are thought to be on the opposite ends of the spectrum, humans are looking for ways to save the environment with technology. So, be it generating renewable, green energy or using sensors to monitor endangered species, technologies like AI and IoT are helping create a sustainable future for us.
1. Developing renewable energy technology
One of the most significant ways to contribute to saving the environment is to sustainably generate and use the available energy resources. Due to the non-renewability of fossil fuels like coal, petroleum, and natural gas, researchers are coming up with new ways to generate energy with technology. However, generating energy with technology involves three main aspects: storing, energy grids, and electricity generation. Energy storage includes developing low-cost storage solutions for energy in the form of modern batteries and improved fuel cells. Some examples of technology-efficient energy solutions are fuel cells, lithium-air batteries, hydrogen energy storage, and thermal energy collectors.
Smart grids assist in moving the generated electricity around to ensure that everyone on the network can access it. The technology includes building such grids and working on their maintenance. Although we still largely rely on the first-generation smart grid, which monitors every consumer in real-time, there are speculations that distributed grids and energy networks based on a flexible infrastructure and globally accepted standards can be seen soon. Sustainable electricity generation includes generating electricity from renewable resources like the sun, wind, and the tides. Solar energy has gained tremendous impetus in the recent years. Following its lead, people are finding innovative ways to use tidal and wind energy for cleaner power sources.
2. Saving endangered wildlife
With Alan Eddison’s remark, ‘Modern technology owes ecology an apology,’ environmental scientists have started focusing on remedying the ecological balance caused by human beings. An integral part of the ecosystem, technology now is being widely used in saving wildlife. Some of the measures taken worldwide in protecting the fauna are:
- Smart collars embedded with GPS, meters, and sensors to keep track of endangered species like rhinos and elephants
- Remote monitoring of wildlife sounds and noises to detect any predator harm or natural distress
- SIM-based collars for animals near human habitats to reduce animal-human conflicts
- Gene sequencing techniques to save endangered species from incurable diseases like cancer
- Conservation drones to track and monitor wild forest regions for any natural disasters like forest fires that can cause animals to be killed
- Predictive analytics for animals to gather information about every species on the planet and work comprehensively in protecting them
3. Adopting a smarter lifestyle
Forming a significant part of the ecology, man has come up with ways to live a safe and a sustainable lifestyle for helping the environment. Smart homes that advocate green living and lesser waste are gaining popularity nowadays. These houses work on advanced sensors that help in saving energy in daily activities. Usually powered by a renewable energy source, they track the presence of people in the house to make decisions that can help in sustainable living. They also employ natural waste management systems with in-built recycling methods, thus, generating lesser waste.
Smart cars were developed on the same lines that contribute to reducing the conventional automobile pollution and saves energy. Electric cars like the Tesla Model 3 work on rechargeable batteries that are highly efficient in distributing the energy to the car parts. A report says that these energy efficient cars supply about 62% of the engine power to the car wheels while conventional cars used only 17-21% of the total energy, thus making them almost three times as efficient as normal cars running on fuel.
There are a lot of other ways to contribute to the preservation of the environment with technology. Most of these applications are widely used and have brought about significant changes. However, this effect can be made extensive if the technology is made to reach out to a lot of people to educate and train them in implementing it to the best of its abilities.
