Green technology for sustainability

Gunin Borah

(The writer teaches Geography in Biswanath College. He can be reached at borah.gunin@gmail.com)

Various technologies are being invented and used by a human civilization which support day-to-day activities. The adoption of technology is limited and has adverse effects on the environment and human civilization. Therefore, scope exists for the application of new technologies, which are more eco and environment-friendly for supporting day-to-day activities of present lifestyles.

However, new technologies are more efficient and environmentally friendly due to increased awareness and recent development in the research area of energy management. These technologies are characterized as Green or Clean technology. Green technology involves energy efficiency, recycling, safety and health concerns, renewable resources and many more. Green technology also refers to clean energy production, the use of alternative fuels, and technologies that are less harmful to the environment than fossil fuels.

Although the market for green technology is relatively young, it has generated a significant amount of investors' interest due to increasing awareness about the impacts of climate change, and depletion of natural resources.

Green technology is an umbrella term that describes the use of technology and science to create products and services that are environmentally friendly. Green tech is related to 'Clean Tech' which specifically refers to products or services that improve operational performances, while also reducing costs, energy consumption, waste, or negative effects on the environment.

Green technology (GT) is a broad term and field of new innovative ways that conserve natural resources and the environment. It is meant as an alternative source of technology that reduces fossil fuels and demonstrates less damage to human, animal, and plant health, as well as damage to the world. The use of green technology is supposed to reduce the amount of waste and pollution that are created during production and consumption. It also refers to environmental technology and clean technology.

The goal of green technology is to protect the environment, repair damage done to the environment in the past, and conserve the earth's natural resources. Green tech has also become a burgeoning industry that has attracted enormous amounts of investment capital.

It is a broad category that encompasses several forms of environmental remediation. Climate change and carbon emission are now considered among the most pressing global issues. There are many efforts to address local environmental hazards. Some seek to protect specific ecosystems for endangered species. Others seek to conserve scarce natural resources by finding more sustainable alternatives.

In order to provide a viable alternative to fossil fuels, businesses are seeking to engineer alternative sources of energy that do not generate atmospheric carbon. Solar and wind power are now among the most un-expansive sources of energy. Other alternatives such as geothermal and tidal energy have yet to be deployed at scale.

Nearly one-third of the world's greenhouse gas emissions are released by transport activities, according to the Environment Protection Agency. Many manufacturers are exploring ways to reduce automotive emissions, either by designing more fuel-efficient engines or shifting to electrical power. However, electric vehicles require a host of innovations in other spheres, such as high-capacity rechargeable batteries and charging infrastructures.

Farming and livestock have substantial environmental food print from the High costs of land and water usage to the ecological consequences of pesticides, fertilizers and animal wastes. As a result, there are many opportunities for green technology in the areas of agriculture. For example, organic farming techniques can reduce the damage due to soil exhaustion, innovations in cattle feed can reduce methane emission, and meat substitutes can reduce the consumption of livestock.

Recycling seeks to conserve scarce resources by reusing material for finding sustainable substitutes. While plastics, glass, paper and metal waste are the most familiar forms of recycling, more sophisticated operations can be used to recover expensive raw material from E-waste, or automobile parts.

Carbon capture refers to a group of experimental technologies that seek to remove and sequester greenhouse gasses, either at the point of combustion or from the atmosphere. This technology has been heavily promoted by the fossil fuel industry, although it has yet to deliver on those expectations. The largest carbon capture facility can absorb 4,000 tonnes of Carbon dioxide per year, a minuscule amount compared to annual emissions.

While green tech is a broad and hard-to-define category, some types of green tech have experienced wide adoption. Several countries have launched initiatives to eliminate single-use plastics, a goal that would require a sizable investment in alternatives, such as paper substitutes, bioplastics, or recycling technologies. For example, Singapore has pledged to reach 70 per cent recycling by 2030.

Renewable energy is another frontier for green tech adoption, with fossil fuels recognised as a significant driver of climate change. According to the Energy Information Administration, solar and wind power together accounted for 70 per cent of the new energy capacity added in 2021. Worldwide global investment in all renewable energy sources exceeded 300 billion dollars in 2020.

The green technology sector in India is dominated by green energy development. India is the second largest renewable energy producer in the world right after China, followed by the US. Electric vehicles, water and waste-water treatment are the other important market segments of green tech in India.

The green energy sector in India is dominated by solar energy, followed by wind power, biomass, and small hydropower plants. Several initiatives to promote solar parks, solar cities, and solar pumps, as well as the National Solar Mission are responsible for the remarkable increase in India's solar capacity. In the year 2021, India's installed capacity for solar and wind energy increased to 40.09 GW, and 39.25 GW. Wind energy projects in India are concentrated in Tamilnadu, Rajasthan and Maharashtra. The countries aim to attain green energy capacities of 175 GW by the year 2022 and 275 GW. 2027. In the year 2021, electric two-wheeler was the largest segment in the electric vehicles market in India, accounting for about 96.91 per cent of the total sales volume. Electric four-wheelers have gained traction owing to the gradual adoption of electric vehicles for public transport. Moreover, the growing popularity of hybrid E-cars is expected to propel the electric four-wheeler market.

Green technology deals with the short-term and long-term impact of things on the environment. The resources are becoming scarce, but demand is increasing, calling for the need to find a balance and create a sustainable future. With green technologies, the world will reach sustainability levels and the environment will be cleaner and safer for all.