16 Mar 6 Ways Technology Is Helping to Save the Planet

As the population grows it becomes more important to consider the impact of human activities on the planet. No longer is clear-cutting the rainforests and dumping chemicals into the waterways the solution to modern problems. Instead, it’s critical to find ways to reduce human impact and to develop technologies that can reverse some of the problems. Many companies are making pledges to use green technology and other habits to help reduce their waste as well. As consumers, there are also options to make a positive impact on the environment, and technology is helping to pave the way. Here are some of the ways that technology is helping to save the planet.

Plant-Based Plastics

Instead of developing plastics that will take centuries or more to biodegrade, companies are leveraging plants to create more natural containers including plant-based plastics. These plastic containers only take around 2 years to biodegrade and do not harm the environment the same way that their traditional counterparts do. This means that as companies create products, they can consider ways to use biodegradable and renewable packaging. This creates less waste in the long term and reduces the strain on landfills. It also means that plastics that are thrown into the ocean will break down eventually instead of sticking around to harm plant and animal species.

Electric Cars

The demand for fuel is huge in first-world countries. The introduction of a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle means that people will require less gasoline and can power their vehicles using other forms of electricity like windmills and solar power. Charging stations that are powered using renewable energy help reduce the use of fossil fuels overall. This keeps the air cleaner, helps reduce waste that harms ecosystems, and can eventually help save the planet from destruction. Electric and hybrid cars are important to reduce emissions and are a viable alternative to older vehicles with poor gas mileage and high output of harmful wastes.

Renewable Building Materials

The rainforests have been decimated in the past 50 years. Part of their destruction was to fuel the need for building materials around the world. Houses and commercial buildings used these materials. And while trees can be replanted, because of the level of clear-cutting, it’s not possible to restore the ecosystems that were lost anytime in the near future. By using renewable and alternate building materials such as recycled plastic and wood, you can lessen the burden on the earth to produce large trees for housing. There are plenty of options that are not only good for the environment but that are also good for people as well.

Better Filtration and Destruction of Toxins

One of the issues with the commercial industry is the amount of waste they produce. These wastes have been poorly stored in the past leading to leaks and contamination of water sources. Using advanced technology, companies have been able to better filter out toxins, destroy them, or neutralize them before they get stored or can leach into water and other locations.

Green Energy

Solar power has been around for a long time. It’s continuing to gain in popularity to help reduce the load on other power sources. Additionally, wind power has been around for centuries. Think about the windmills of old. They were used in different ways to do work for people who had them. The use of renewable energy like wind and solar is a great example of how technology is helping to save the planet. As more places uptake these energy sources, the need for coal and other non-renewable energy will decrease.

Recycling Water

In some areas, water is a precious commodity. By reusing water it can help alleviate some of the strain of needing pipelines and other sources of water from far away. Using gray water filtration systems can help you use and reuse the same water for laundry, dishes, and even washing hands. Additionally, rainwater collection can help homeowners gather water from natural locations. These systems can be easily hooked up in homes to make their use seamless. Technology that filters and collects these water sources help to improve the planet and keeps lakes and reservoirs from going dry. In the long term, this ultimately benefits people and the environment.