Although the advancement of technology in general has many adverse effects on the environment, recent reports by the department of energy lab exclaims that various technology innovations in the 21st century will lead to cleaner water, more fuel efficient cars and healthier (genetically engineered) crops. These findings were part of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s list of breakthroughs, which will lead to a cleaner environment while providing major benefits to the consumers in the next decade.
The mentioned developments are primarily involved areas of manufacturing, genetic engineering, water treatment, wireless communications, molecular designs, bioprocessing, enviro-manufacturing and recycling.
The following are some of the advancements in technology that have a positive impact on the environment:
- The demand for paper is reducing drastically due to the advancements in wireless communication and web-based information, consequently reducing the environmental impacts from paper and ink manufacturing and use.
- The report also mentions that “Advanced display systems will imitate paper in their flexibility and portability, and images may be projected directly on the retina of the eye. This capability, coupled with a cellular phone, could provide everyone from couch potatoes to business travelers with faxes and customized news anywhere"
- Developments in genetic engineering along with plant manipulation will lead to the creation of crops that will require less fertilizer and water while still using available nutrients efficiently.
- Furthermore, ‘Smart filters’ guarantees improved water treatment at sewage plants and municipal water supplies by adjusting to unclog themselves without the need for human intervention. Other techniques including membranes are used to remove organic compounds, which could potentially result in undesirable reactions with chlorine.
The development in various technologies along with the rising demand for more ‘environmentally friendly products’ is leading to the creation of products – plastics, paper, beverage containers and inks as well as cars and computers – that will be more biodegradable or recyclable.
In addition, lighter cars will be built with less steel and more lightweight aluminum, magnesium, titanium and composites. Therefore lessening the need for ‘dirty’ manufacturing processes.
The above are only a few of the ways that technology is helping various aspects of the environment, but ultimately we are the controllers of this technology and our actions will determine the final outcome.
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