With the current world population standing at around 7.6 billion, it is easy to understand how the planet is under pressure. Each person living on Earth needs food, water and the energy to produce heat and to cook food in order to survive and live. It stands to reason then, that to sustain the growth in our population and to continue to thrive we must look to technology as a way of controlling the amount of pollution we will produce. Here we explore how green technology and science can help control air pollution.
Solar Power Electricity and the Drive for Passive Energy
One way we as a society are making inroads into the sheer volumes of pollution that we produce is the use of solar power both for businesses and for domestic use. Passive houses that harness the energy of the sun are built to rigorous standards and don’t allow heat to escape. This, along with a host of other technology means they are ultra-low energy buildings and thus very green and friendly for the environment.
The burgeoning electric car industry sets another example of how we as a society are pushing the boundaries of technology to become cleaner and greener. Car manufacturers Tesla are trailblazers in this field and have only encountered problems from not being able to fulfil orders for their electric vehicles quickly enough. The green car market is expected to grow and double over the coming years whereby in the future many car users will be driving an electric or eco friendly vehicle.
Large factories and other types of industrial plants are responsible for much of the pollution that muddies our air and here, also, progress is being made and further development into this area. New technology is responsible for a raft of air pollution control and industrial gas treatment systems that radically reduce the volume of harmful waste that enters the environment and causes further pollution and damage to the earth.
Another way industry is becoming greener is by reducing the amount of waste that it produces and by switching to materials that are more sustainable and green friendly. Bamboo and hemp are both good examples of sustainable materials as they both grow very quickly and are extremely versatile in terms of how they can be used – to make fabric for clothing for instance. In addition, many companies are choosing to use recycled materials and building products around them, recycled paper for example, can be used in the making of blankets.
In some sectors, workforces too are becoming greener. The trend for individuals who work in the digital sector and who complete the majority of their work from home are evidence of this – the thousands who now do this have no need to commute and therefore contribute to the lowering of vehicle emissions.
Green technology and science are leading the vanguard against air pollution and as the world’s population continues to grow so will their importance and contribution.