GREEN TECHNOLOGY: AN AVENUE FOR CREATING A LIVABLE PLANET

With the growing phenomena of rapid industrialization and fascination for a luxurious lifestyle, the adoption of technology increased by manifolds. Fast depletion of natural resources, unexpected climate change and global warming consequences urged the civilized society to rethink the sustainability aspects in later part of the 20th century and as a result, the concept of green technology emerged. Green technology is also known as greentech which refers to the use of technology to come up with features and functionality that would benefit the environment.

Green Technology is the application of one or more aspects of environmental sciences, engineering and physical as well as biological sciences to monitor & conserve the natural environment. The main intention behind using green technology is to mitigate the negative effects of human activity on the environment in terms of slowing down global warming and reduce the adverse impacts of the greenhouse effect. All the green technologies are aimed at striking off the harmful impacts towards all the living species and the general health of our planet.

The suffocation due to intense air pollution, unnatural climatic change and the collapse of natural food system invoked the urgency to explore the innovative use of technology through Greentech. All the innovations in the field of green technology adhere to the goals of sustainability which can be possible by;

• Innovating new ways to fulfil the needs of society in ways that can endure the future possibility without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
• Reduction of waste and pollution by introducing changing patterns of production and consumption.
• Reinventing clean technology with renewable energy sources and enhancement in use of eco-friendly materials.

The list of ways and ideas continues to grow with the contemplation of global thinkers, environmentalists, social activists. Green technology consists of a wide variety of activities ranging from recycling to sustainable building. Manufacturers around the globe are putting significant efforts in devising the concept of 4R’s such as Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Recover. Use of renewable energy sources such as sunlight, volcanic & sea water and wind through solar panels, geothermal wells and wind turbines are encouraged. Product innovation with eco-friendly guidelines is gaining popularity. For example, Motorola created an eco-friendly phone named as Motorola Renew, which is made of recycled bottles that come in a packaging made of recycled parts. Another example can be Voltaic Backpack which has solar panels for charging the gadgets.

In the present era, there is no doubt on How Technology Has Made Our Life Easier but looking at the increasing volume of e-waste it indicates an alarming situation. The electronic wastages out of unwanted, obsolete or unusable electronic and electrical products are creating adverse impacts on the environment and human health. Also, the resources are wasted when economically valuable materials are dumped rather than utilizing in solid waste management. In the context of India, it is the fifth biggest producer of e-waste in the world with more than 12.5 lakh MTs every year and growing at a rate of 3.15 per cent annually. Hence developing the necessary infrastructure to manage the e-waste, mutual awareness about the usability of products among manufacturers and consumers becomes highly important.

Various government initiatives are taken in encouraging the use of green technology through policy reformations. Adequate numbers of non-profit organizations are putting efforts in spreading the awareness. At institutional level environmental education, opportunities for research & development in green technology area are nurtured among academicians. Additionally, various events, student club activities are aligned with protecting the nature and spreading awareness of the grass root level of society. Along with that various social campaigns for green revolutions are wide spreading the agenda of green technology. In a global scale, the companies are showing interests towards green technology and introducing eco-friendly office design & operations to put a step ahead with eco-sustainability.

Undoubtedly Green Technology is going to be the change driver for ensuring sustainable growth and conducive in dealing with global warming. Not only creating new technology but reinventing the sustainable dimensions through design thinking is the need of this time. As a responsible citizen, it is our responsibility to nurture the environment and protect for the upcoming generation as a livable planet.

NOTE: The views expressed here are those of the author's and not necessarily represent or reflect the views of DoT Club as a whole.