The world is changing rapidly, and new innovation means that there is an increasing amount of sustainable products on the market. These new technologies are vital for helping us create a cleaner environment, and make the most of the natural resources available to us. They’ll help us move into the future and meet consumer demand for power, for example, as well as giving back to the environment that we all share and making it a better place to live.
Here, we take a look at how we can make the most of this technology and maximise the benefit to the environment.
Green power sources
The power of the wind, waves and sun are relatively untapped resources in comparison to fossil fuels. But whereas once solar panels were an expensive and an uncommon sight, in recent years, it feels like more and more people are becoming aware of the potential of green energy. In fact, in the first half of 2023, global spending on renewable energy totaled $358 billion – a record-breaking figure.
Unfortunately, not every day is sunny enough to generate enough solar power to meet demand, and this also goes for the other renewable sources. In order to increase the amount of green power we’re using, and rely less on fossil fuels, we also need to have storage solutions. This allows us to store the excess power generated, and keep it to use on other days.
This can extend beyond homeowners simply saving up their own store, too. Virtual power plants (VPPs) are a new technology that link together several different feeds of renewable energy. They automatically take the ‘excess’ energy that isn’t being used, and divert it to where it is needed elsewhere in the grid. You get paid for this, and the VPP will always leave enough in your storage unit to allow for emergencies.
Keeping our oceans clean
A huge proportion of our planet is made up of water, and so keeping the oceans clean is a key part of creating a cleaner environment for us all to enjoy. Rubbish and other harmful substances like oil can get swept into the water, causing problems for animals and impacting the cleanliness of beaches.
In order to help solve this problem, The Seabin Project has created a circular ‘trash skimmer’ that sucks in vast amounts of water and then filters it, removing any harmful items before pumping the water back into the ocean. As well as man-made matter, it can also clean up leaves and floating seaweed that may cause the water to be murky, creating a cleaner ecosystem.
Extracting resources sustainably
Traditional mining methods used to extract resources from the Earth are extremely inefficient and harmful not only to human life, but also to local ecosystems and the wider environment. Fortunately, technological innovations are being leveraged throughout the mining industry to make every stage of the process more sustainable and reduce its impact on people and the planet.
For example, rather than relying on heavy machinery powered by fossil fuels, companies are turning to electric alternatives to reduce their carbon footprint. In addition, AI is driving more automation at mining sites, to streamline processes and boost efficiency. In addition, machine learning programs are able to more accurately predict when mining equipment requires maintenance, helping to reduce waste and maximise the value we get from materials.
