Green technology and sustainability are terms that go hand in hand these days. In modern times we have developed a technology that’s able to create products while at the same time reducing the negative environmental effects.
Which is great because by conserving natural resources and supporting the ecological balance we can lower CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions which is one of the main causes of climate change along many other reasons.
The new technologies work on carbon removal, low-emission manufacturing and climate-ready infrastructures, a very important factor seeing the unstable weather that has come to be in this times. Unstable weather would mean a higher amount of natural disasters and extreme weather conditions (intense heat waves, heavy downpours, hurricanes etc…) which would result not only in a dangerous environment for us living beings but it would also have heavy economic consequences (from recession, famine to inflation). All of these advances we have made in sustainability are meant to decrease air, water, soil, and noise (excessive amount of noises) pollution while at the same time protecting natural resources and biodiversity.
Other sustainable innovations are renewable energy systems, electric vehicles, eco-friendly materials, methane capture and the utilization of Green concrete which is achieved by carbon capture technologies, efficient mix design, recycled materials, low carbon binders all of this is engineered to reduce the environmental impact of construction without sacrificing strength or durability, since cement is responsible for a large amount of CO2 emissions.
Often times we forget that scraps, already used things can be reused or transformed into something totally different and reusable. This is extremely useful especially since we often fix on only one function that the object possess or underestimate the function forgetting that it can be very helpful like in contaminated environments. There are certain species that have adapted to thrive there, more importantly these plants can actually help to clean contaminated soil by absorbing metal elements.
The problems regarding the environment are a hot topic but regardless of this not much is changing or at least on a large scale and why is that? Is it because people are not trying well that’s not it, people do try but at the same time they can’t change everything they do either for economic or no possibilities/alternatives available. Humans might need something bigger that will give humans a wake up call. It may just be all of the political conflicts that are going to arise or the ones that can blow up any day from now. But people are aware and some even if small still try to put effort into doing something but of course people’s decisions aren’t gonna be enough and an effort has to come from the higher and bigger organizations from businesses to the governments.
This article is meant to invite people to reflect on this facts and to call out insensitive and indifferent behaviour, even when it comes from positions of power.
Osasenaga Agbonifo