Not a day seems to go by without the news covering a story related to the destruction of the environment or some type of pollution event. Bad things happen because humans have become irresponsible in the way resources are treated. The fact is, technology in all its forms, has become deeply entrenched in human society. If you were to take it away, civilization as we know it would collapse. On the other hand, the present way of handling technology will also contribute to our downfall. Therefore, you could say that technology is a two-headed monster that needs to be tamed. The good news is that there are ways to handle this conundrum. The way to handle is to promote sustainable technology as much as possible.
What is Sustainable Technology?
In a nutshell, sustainable technology strives to reduce waste, without sacrificing efficiency. Sustainable technology also tries to use substitutes, that are Eco-friendlier, yet still as practical as the material it is replacing. As you can see, sustainable technology is a very broad term that can mean a lot of different things. Whatever it is, and wherever it is used, technology can only be considered sustainable if it is not depleting finite sources and does not release a lot of pollution. Since this is a very broad field, covering all the areas in which sustainability in technology is used, is beyond the scope of this article. Hence, we will concentrate on a few areas that are among the most important.
Water Conservation Technologies
Humankind has been looking for ways to conserve water for thousands of years. We are still trying to figure out how to do it. One way to accomplish this problem is to build with a dual plumbing system. One set of pipes for grey water and another for toilet waste. Grey water may not be suitable for drinking but can be channeled to a holding tank and then used for watering plants and even washing cars. Another way to help with water shortage would be to use rainwater harvesting methods. This will require storage tanks and can even be consumed after filtering and boiling.
Keeping the Heat Out
There are many ways in which the temperatures in a room or building can be controlled, without being overly dependent on the HVAC system. Temperature control can be achieved either on the design side of things or using special materials. As far as materials are concerned, one such example would be electro chromic smart glass. This type of glass falls under the category of environmental technology and works by reflecting a large amount of radiation produced by sunlight. Along with good insulation, a building can drastically reduce energy consumption while trying to keep it pleasant inside.
Biodegradable Building Materials
Are you planning on building a new home or building? Then, it is time to look into biodegradable materials. There are many materials on the market today that are capable of being used in construction that is drastically less toxic for the environment.
