Green Technology

Green technology, also known as environmentally friendly technology uses science to safeguard the natural environment and resources as well as reducing the human impact on the Earth. 

Some of the more commonly known green technologies are recycling, water purification, renewable energy and solid waste management. 

Most cities in the United States and the United Kingdom have recycling programs available; many with curb side pick up. 

Water purification and sewage treatment is a common and older technology to help conserve and treat the water used in the homes as well as industries. 

Solar and geothermal power is being used today and with the threat of global warming the market is growing.

Currently the largest solar thermal power station is located in the Mojave Desert and the largest geothermal power station is located in California.

Renewable energy is becoming more widely sought and homes can often be found with solar panels and energy efficient appliances; businesses are playing a larger role in renewable energy with the use of water and air to assist in the power supplies.

Solid waste management is enforcing regulation on the landfills encouraging recycling and landfill gasses have even been used for power sources and the sites have been leveled for parks.

Recycling is a type of green technology that uses old materials to make new products. Old used tires are being recycled to create playground flooring in parks and provide a soft surface that increases the safety of the children playing there.

Post consumer recycled paper is being used in products such as computer paper, books, paper plates, paper towel, toilet paper and packaging materials to name just a few. Recycling saves not only energy and raw materials but also space used in landfills.

Water purification is the process of turning raw and or contaminated water into useful water for drinking, medical and industrial uses. Water is purified by means of filtration, treatment with ultraviolet light, softening and reverse osmosis as well as other treatment processes.

Technology is even being developed that can remove the salt from sea water to make it into drinking water.

Currently the government controls the water purification and safety standards of minimum and maximum allowed contaminates for drinking water.

The current sources for drinking water is groundwater and lakes, rivers and reservoirs; however, there is new technology being developed to utilize water from fog collection, rain collection and even atmospheric water generation.  

Renewable energy uses our natural resources such as wind, water and sunlight for the power needed in homes and industries.      

Renewable fuel sources are a growing development with ethanol made from corn in the United States and sugar cane in Brazil.

Wind and Water power is being utilized with water leading the way in technology.

Since water is much denser than air even the slowest water current can produce power sources.

Technology is being created to use the tides with large turbines that are much like the wind turbines that are used for air.  

By utilizing the solar, wind, water and other natural renewable sources for power we can protect the earth and its non renewable sources such as oil and stop the clear cutting of the rain forests.

Solid waste management includes the transportation, processing, recycling and disposal of our waste materials. We live in a disposable world in many ways with the modernization and convenience of our world we have cluttered it with our refuse.

As people begin to become aware of our impact on the Earth we are learning to become less self consumed in our efforts to protect it. Many people are choosing to use cloth diapers instead of disposable diapers which go into the landfill.

The average baby goes through approximately 5000 diapers before being potty trained. As of 2007 the figured world wide birth rate was approximately 134 billion babies born each year, multiply that by 5000 and you have 670,000 diapers in the landfill if everyone used disposable diapers.

Landfills are filling up with our abundance; clothing, toys, diapers, electronics and packaging. We have been familiarized with the waste hierarchy of reduce, reuse and recycles but do we really take this into consideration before we just toss out our unwanted items?

Reduce the amount of packaging by buying in bulk, using cloth or reusable bags at the grocery store and analyzing if we really need something before buying it.

Reusing items instead of throwing them out also cuts down on the waste we produce.

Look for ways to use what you already have before purchasing new items.

Recycle! Instead of taking items to the dump take them to a resale shop and buy clothes and items that others are replacing.

In this way we reduce the amount of raw materials that are used and the end result is we have something new to us and that is also environmentally sound and responsible.

Technology companies these days are now focusing on green technology, energy conservation.

Creating systems that are multi functional, instead of having a separate fax, printer and photocopier companies are using multifunctional systems, one piece of technology for all three uses. When an office closes the screens are left on which consumes energy.

Leading technology companies are creating computer screens which when they go to sleep mo power is used.

Data centres are now thinking of moving or opening up nearer to renewable energy sources such as hydro electricity or wind power sites.

Most companies are thinking long and hard about what happens to all their technology when it needs to be disposed of and recycling where ever possible. try to pass on the world of recycling and the environment.