On one side, many global environmental problems, such as ozone depletion, climate change, diminishing biodiversity, etc., are accelerating because of technology usage and on another side, the same technology has given us plant-based plastic, carbon capture, smart grids, etc, things that are pushing us towards sustainable future.
After getting discovered in 2005, the number of patents involved around Graphene has increased exponentially.
Graphene films could be used to improve the efficiency of proton-conducting membranes. This means vehicles could be powered with just tiny amounts of hydrogen present in the ambient air.
Also, Graphene membranes could solve the world water crisis. MIT researchers found, “ that the water permeability of this material is several orders of magnitude higher than conventional reverse osmosis membranes, and that nanoporous graphene may have a valuable role to play for water purification.”
Regarding this, CSIRO scientist Dong Han Seo said and Norvergence quotes: “This technology can create clean drinking water, regardless of how dirty it is, in a single step. All that’s needed is heat, our graphene, a membrane filter, and a small water pump. We’re hoping to commence field trials in a developing-world community next year.
Also knows as a meat alternative, mock meat, imitation meat, vegetarian meat, faux meat, etc, fake meat contains aesthetic qualities or characteristics of some specific types of meat.
Companies such as Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods are delivering alternatives to meat (fake meat) that can finally help all of us to solve some portion of environmental problems related to meat.
Must read post to save our planet: Tree-Planting Drone Can Plant 100,000 Trees in One Day
Environmental Sensors
Environmental sensors are connected objects that are capable of providing important information such as location, position, and other important contextual elements.
Basically, environmental sensors are used for monitoring air pollution, forest fire detection, landslide detection, and volcanoes sensing.
Carbon Capture
It involves trapping of Carbon dioxide and transporting it to a storage location and isolating it. The technology used in doing this is known as Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS).
In January 2020, Energy Giant Drax has announced its partnership with Econic Technologies to explore the potential for using captured carbon dioxide.
Will Gardner, CEO of Drax Group said about the partnership and Norvergence quotes: “By working with innovative tech companies like Econic and Deep Branch Biotechnology, we are exploring new opportunities for clean growth, which could be critical not only for beating the climate crisis but also in enabling a just transition, protecting jobs across the North — delivering for the economy and the environment.
Take a look into this post as well: Will Techtopia Toyota’s Japanese Smart City Succeed?
Plant-based Plastic
Last but not least is the plant-based plastic. It is made of agricultural scraps, mostly from sugarcane, wheat, corn, etc. Many vendors across the globe are using it but unfortunately, the benefits of bioplastic can be exploited by some vendors who create fake bio-based plastic bags.
Dr. Noor Akma Shabuddin, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) Health and Environment Department director. Said and we quote: “People who wanted to abide by the ruling of the single-use plastic ban] but were wrongly influenced by vendors who sold photo-degradable, oxo-degradable, or even substandard biodegradable plastic bags. These plastics are more damaging as they do not completely degrade but fragment over time into smaller plastic and microplastic particles.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that technology can help us save our planet but we must learn to value our nature. Above-discussed technologies miracle should be supported by governments across the globe and more efforts should be done for achieving a sustainable future.
Stay tuned with Irish Tech News and Norvergence for more tech-savvy articles.
Originally published at https://irishtechnews.ie