Sometimes, even with all the goodwill, the problem requires a more sophisticated tool. Sure, people built some impressive structures in the past, but before modern construction materials, there was no talk of structures as tall as skyscrapers.
The same goes for the majority of modern ecological problems.
The reason why this isn’t solved is mostly because the problem is a lot younger than you think. We’ve been engaged in heavy industry for less than two centuries. The production reached a critical point a few decades ago, and there are still people who don’t believe in its harmful effects.
In other words, we’ve just started working on this problem, and the results will take some time to roll in. Here are the top five such technologies that you should look out for.
Renewable Energy Sources
The first imminent problem is the shortage of resources and the fact that all fossil fuels are finite. This is a far bigger problem than you think since some estimates claim that, if we keep exploiting at this rate, fossil fuels will run out by 2060. Some people reading this will see it happen in our lifetimes; it’s that soon.
What we need are resources that will never run out. We’re talking about solar panels, which, even though they aren’t perfect, have a lot of potential. The technology is already reliable, and it’s seeing commercial and residential use. This is important because it allows individuals to take agency in the salvation of their own planet instead of waiting for the reform to come from above.
Wind turbines are also becoming increasingly popular, and the biggest bottleneck of this technology is the fact that some regions are put at a disadvantage.
Then, there are a lot of incredible concepts, some of which might even overtake the two above-listed. For instance, the heat of the Earth’s core provides an incredible amount of heat, and with the right technology and sondes deep enough, some of this could be used to harvest energy. We’re talking about the heat and the energy that will never end or expire.
What about seeing current power harnessing? Some of the strongest currents have the power of all the rivers in the world combined.
Development In Energy Storage Solutions
Energy storage is almost as big of a problem as energy production. With fossil fuels, you burn them and get a certain amount of energy. Still, with renewable energy sources like wind and power, you don’t really have the unlimited potential for harvesting. You can only harvest during the day; some regions have limited amounts available.
This is why you need to have batteries where you can store all this power so that it lasts you for as long as possible.
This is why modern batteries are being developed far more rapidly than anyone imagined.
It’s not just batteries but battery management systems that matter. You see, all modern hardware needs software that can keep up. In the past, this was not the case, but today, battery management systems and analytics are far more important than before.
These are also massive contributors to the reduction of range anxiety in electrical vehicle drivers.
Sophisticated battery management systems will give far more accurate estimates of how much more power you have left and even how efficient you are at using the power that’s currently available. This is a huge issue that might make the use of clean energy more appealing to a lot of people.
Digital Money
One of the biggest arguments against digital money, especially cryptocurrencies, is the idea that, for some reason, mining crypto is a huge ecological disaster. A part of this is true, but it is so far from the whole story.
Sure, crypto mining is a power-hungry industry but have you ever paused to consider the alternative?
You see, about 95% of all money in the world already exists in its paperless format. The power necessary to maintain this financial system is no less power-hungry than crypto mining. This is the first thing you need to keep in mind.
Second, with the help of cryptocurrencies, there’s no need for intermediaries. DeFi is about more than just transparency and fairness; it’s about eliminating the need for all financial intermediaries and all the power that institutions like these banks and credit unions consume.
While a lot of people look for popular new coins as a means of investment, there are a lot of those who use them as money. This way, paper use is further reduced, and people’s reliance on paper cash becomes even lower.
Most importantly, crypto developers acknowledge that crypto mining is a problem, which is why they are turning more and more toward green mining. In other words, this problem might be resolved sooner than you think.
Electric Vehicles
The next thing you need to understand is the importance of electric vehicles in the traffic as we know it.
There are two layers to the sustainability that electric cars bring. First, they run on electricity, which can be generated from renewable sources. Second, it reduces CO2 emissions, which is also a massive contention when it comes to traffic.
The thing is that you still get all the perks of sustainable transportation. Carpooling still helps, and so does the use of public transportation (if you’re riding electrical buses, etc.). It’s just that all of these methods become even more effective.
More importantly, the commercial use of electric vehicles is rapidly picking up. The thing is that there are more and more electric fleets (especially after the latest advances in the field of battery management software).
Sure, this concept is not that new, but with the latest advantages in self-driving car technology, it’s more appealing than it ever was before.
Green Building Materials & Design
Lastly, it’s not just about the energy. You see, the industries producing construction materials sometimes use practices that are highly polluting. At other times, they produce materials that release toxins into the soil and air, damaging the planet in the process.
There are so many materials that are sustainable and could be infinitely grown in order to be processed into construction materials (like hempcrete), but there are other ideas that are just as great.
Recycling is a concept worth exploring, as well, especially since some materials (like metal) can be reused quite effectively, with virtually no loss to the quality of the material.
This, however, requires complex chemical processes, some of which we already have but do not use to their full capacity.
The better the manufacturing process becomes, the more cost-effective the use of these materials will be. After all, the construction industry is mostly profit-driven and the more profitable sustainability becomes, the more contractors will use this option.
With Better Tools, Keeping Our Planet Safe & Healthy Will Become A Lot Easier
It’s not just about being able to do something; it’s about being able to do it in a simple, safe, and profitable manner. A lot of people would choose to do the green thing if they could afford it, same as a lot of enterprises would choose the green route if it was financially sustainable. Fortunately, technology will get us there in no time.
