This article takes a look at the paradoxical ideology that while the impact of technology on the environment has been highly negative, the concept of environmental engineering science could salve our planet from the harm that has been done. This idea is supported by WWF 1 , who accept stated that although technology is a solution enabler it is as well part of the problem.

The term 'applied science' refers to the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes and the machinery and devices developed as a result. Nosotros are currently living in a period of rapid modify, where technological developments are revolutionising the way we live, at the same time every bit leading us farther into the depths of catastrophe in the class of climatic change and resource scarcity.

This article will begin by discussing the negative impact of technology on the surround due to the causation of some of the world'southward most severe ecology concerns, followed by the potential that it has to save the planet from those aforementioned issues. Finally it will explore the particular environmental applied science of the gas sensor and discuss how information technology plays a part in the mitigation of negative ecology consequences.

The Bear on of Technology on the Environs

The industrial revolution has brought nigh new technologies with immense ability. This was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Europe and the United States, in the period from well-nigh 1760 to 1840. This has been succeeded past continued industrialisation and further technological advancements in developed countries around the globe, and the touch on of this technology on the environment has included the misuse and damage of our natural earth.

These technologies have damaged our world in two master means; pollution and the depletion of natural resources.

i. Air and water pollution

Air pollution occurs when harmful or excessive quantities of gases such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitric oxide and marsh gas are introduced into the earth'due south atmosphere. The primary sources all relate to technologies which emerged following the industrial revolution such as the called-for of fossil fuels, factories, power stations, mass agronomics and vehicles. The consequences of air pollution include negative wellness impacts for humans and animals and global warming, whereby the increased amount of greenhouse gases in the air trap thermal energy in the Earth's atmosphere and cause the global temperature to rising.

Environmental Technology

Water pollution on the other manus is the contagion of water bodies such as lakes, rivers, oceans, and groundwater, commonly due to man activities. Some of the nigh common water pollutants are domestic waste, industrial effluents and insecticides and pesticides. A specific example is the release of inadequately treated wastewater into natural h2o bodies, which can atomic number 82 to degradation of aquatic ecosystems. Other detrimental effects include diseases such as typhoid and cholera, eutrophication and the destruction of ecosystems which negatively affects the nutrient concatenation.

2. Depletion of natural resources

Resource depletion is another negative impact of technology on the environment. Information technology refers to the consumption of a resource faster than it can be replenished. Natural resources consist of those that are in being without humans having created them and they can be either renewable or not-renewable. There are several types of resource depletion, with the nigh severe being aquifer depletion, deforestation, mining for fossil fuels and minerals, contamination of resources, soil erosion and overconsumption of resources. These mainly occur as a result of agriculture, mining, water usage and consumption of fossil fuels, all of which have been enabled by advancements in technology.

Due to the increasing global population, levels of natural resource degradation are too increasing. This has resulted in the estimation of the world's eco-footprint to exist 1 and a half times the ability of the world to sustainably provide each individual with enough resources that meet their consumption levels. Since the industrial revolution, big-calibration mineral and oil exploration has been increasing, causing more than and more than natural oil and mineral depletion. Combined with advancements in technology, development and research, the exploitation of minerals has become easier and humans are therefore digging deeper to access more which has led to many resources entering into a product decline.

Moreover, the effect of deforestation has never been more severe, with the Globe Bank reporting that the net loss of global forest between 1990 and 2015 was 1.3 one thousand thousand km 2 . This is primarily for agricultural reasons but also logging for fuel and making space for residential areas, encouraged past increasing population pressure. Not only does this result in a loss of trees which are important every bit they remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, but thousands of plants and animals lose their natural habitats and have become extinct.

Environmental Applied science

Despite the negative impact of technology on environment, a contempo rising in global concern for climate change has led to the evolution of new environmental technology aiming to help solve some of the biggest environmental concerns that we face as a society through a shift towards a more sustainable, depression-carbon economy. Ecology technology is also known as 'green' or 'clean' technology and refers to the development of new technologies which aim to conserve, monitor or reduce the negative touch on of technology on the environment and the consumption of resource.

The Paris agreement, signed in 2016, has obliged almost every country in the world to undertake ambitious efforts to gainsay climate change by keeping the rise in the global boilerplate temperature at less than 2°C above pre-industrial levels.

This department volition focus on the positive touch on of technology on the environment as a issue of the development of ecology technology such as renewable free energy, 'smart technology', electric vehicles and carbon dioxide removal.

  • Renewable energy

Renewable energy, also known equally 'clean energy', is energy that is collected from renewable resource which are naturally replenished such equally sunlight, wind, pelting, tides, waves, and geothermal oestrus. Modern ecology technology has enabled us to capture this naturally occurring energy and convert it into electricity or useful heat through devices such every bit solar panels, wind and h2o turbines, which reflects a highly positive impact of technology on the environs.

Having overtaken coal in 2015 to become our second largest generator of electricity, renewable sources currently produce more than 20% of the Uk's electricity, and EU targets ways that this is probable to increment to 30% by 2020. While many renewable energy projects are large-scale, renewable technologies are also suited to remote areas and developing countries, where free energy is often crucial in human being development.

The cost of renewable energy technologies such as solar panels and wind turbines are falling and government investment is on the rise. This has contributed towards the amount of rooftop solar installations in Australia growing from approximately four,600 households to over 1.6 million between 2007 and 2017.

  • Smart engineering

Smart dwelling technology uses devices such as linking sensors and other appliances connected to the Internet of Things (IoT) that can be remotely monitored and programmed in order to be as energy efficient as possible and to respond to the needs of the users.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a network of internet-connected objects able to collect and commutation data using embedded sensor technologies. This data allows devices in the network to apart 'make decisions' based on real-time data. For example, intelligent lighting systems simply illuminate areas that require it and a smart thermostat keeps homes at certain temperatures during sure times of day, therefore reducing wastage.

This environmental engineering has been enabled by increased connectivity to the cyberspace as a result of the increase in availability of WiFi, Bluetooth and smart sensors in buildings and cities. Experts are predicting that cities of the future will exist places where every car, phone, air conditioner, light and more are interconnected, bringing about the concept of free energy efficient 'smart cities'.

Impact of technology on the environment | Environmental Technology

The technology of the net further demonstrates a positive bear upon of engineering on the environment due to the fact that social media can heighten sensation of global issue and worldwide virtual laboratories can be created. Experts from dissimilar fields tin can remotely share their research, experience and ideas in order to come up upwards with improved solutions. In addition, travel is reduced as meetings/communication betwixt friends and families tin can be done virtually, which reduces pollution from transport emissions.

  • Electric vehicles

The ecology technology of the electric vehicle is propelled past one or more electrical motors, using energy stored in rechargeable batteries. Since 2008, there has been an increase in the manufacturing of electric vehicles due to the want to reduce environmental concerns such as air pollution and greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Electric vehicles demonstrate a positive bear upon of engineering science on the surround because they do not produce carbon emissions, which contribute towards the 'greenhouse outcome' and leads to global warming. Furthermore, they practice non contribute to air pollution, meaning they are cleaner and less harmful to human health, animals, plants, and water.

There have recently been several environmental engineering science government incentives encouraging plug-in vehicles, taxation credits and subsidies to promote the introduction and adoption of electric vehicles. Electric vehicles could potentially exist the mode forrad for a greener society because companies such equally Bloomberg accept predicted that they could become cheaper than petrol cars by 2024 and according to Nissan, at that place are at present in fact more than electrical vehicle charging stations in the UK than fuel stations iii .

impact of technology on the environment

  • 'Direct Air Capture' (DAC) – Environmental Technology removing Carbon from the atmosphere

For a slightly more ambitious technology to conclude with, the thought of pulling carbon dioxide directly out of the temper has been circulating climate change mitigation enquiry for years, however it has only recently been implemented and is still in the early on stages of development.

The environmental applied science is known every bit 'Direct Air Capture' (DAC) and is the process of capturing carbon dioxide directly from the ambient air and generating a concentrated stream of CO2 for sequestration or utilisation. The air is then pushed through a filter past many large fans, where CO2 is removed. It is thought that this technology can be used to manage emissions from distributed sources, such as frazzle fumes from cars. Total-scale DAC operations are able to absorb the equivalent amount of carbon to the annual emissions of 250,000 average cars.

Many argue that DAC is essential for climate change mitigation and that it can help attain the Paris Climate Agreement goals, equally carbon dioxide in the air has been the main cause of the problem after all. Still, the loftier cost of DAC currently means that it is not an option on a big calibration and some believe that reliance on this technology would pose a risk as it may reduce emission reduction every bit people may be under the pretense that all of their emissions will simply be removed.

Impact of technology on the environment | Environmental Technology

Paradigm source: http://world wide web.texasvox.org/direct-air-capture-co2-climate-solution-limitations/

Although we cannot reverse the negative affect of technology on the environment caused by industrialisation, many believe that new environmental technology, such as renewable energy combined with smart logistics and electric transport, has the potential to bring near the rapid decarbonisation of our economy and the mitigation of further detrimental damage.

How can the environmental applied science of Edinburgh Sensors' Gas Sensor contribute?

Sensors play a huge part in the positive impact of engineering science on the environment as they often play a vital role in the monitoring and reduction of harmful activities. At Edinburgh Sensors, we produce bespoke gas sensing technology which can be used across a wide range of applications, many of which tin can be used to mitigate environmental concerns. This commodity presents simply three of these applications; the monitoring of greenhouse gas emissions, the monitoring of methane using an infrared sensor and the detection of gases using a UAV drone.

  1. Monitoring of Greenhouse Gas emissions: https://edinburghsensors.com/news-and-events/measuring-greenhouse-gas-emissions/

Edinburgh Sensors Gascard NG provides high quality, accurate and reliable measurements of CO, CO2 and CH4. To find out how we can assist you with the measurement of greenhouse gas emissions, only contact us.

  1. Using an Infrared Sensor for reliable Methane monitoring: https://edinburghsensors.com/news-and-events/infrared-sensor-gas-monitoring/

Edinburgh Sensors' Gascard NG is used for methane detection in a range of research, industrial, and environmental applications including pollution monitoring, agricultural research, chemical processes and many more.

  1. Using a UAV drone attached to a gas sensor to measure out harmful gases: https://edinburghsensors.com/news-and-events/uav-drone-methane-monitoring/

From monitoring global warming to tracking the spread of pollution, in that location are many reasons to use a drone in order to monitor carbon dioxide, methane and other hydrocarbon gas concentrations in remote or dangerous locations.

Go far touch

If you lot accept enjoyed reading this commodity about the bear on of ecology technology and applied science on the environment , why not join Edinburgh Sensors on social media and sign up to our infrequent newsletter to be the first to know virtually our latest products, research and developments.

Or if you have just as many concerns about the impact of technology on the environment equally we do and are interested in using gas sensing technology to play a office in the reduction of environmental harm, we encourage you to get in impact with a member of our team today as we would be delighted to assist you.

References

  1. Proudfoot, R. and Kelley, S. (2017). Can technology save the planet? WWF Australia https://www.wwf.org.au/ArticleDocuments/360/pub-can-technology-save-the-planet-30may17.pdf.aspx?Embed=Y
  1. Nunez, C. (2019). Climate 101: Deforestation. National Geographic. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environs/global-warming/deforestation/#targetText=Between%201990%20and%202016%2C%20the,report%20in%20the%20journal%20Nature
  1. Visor, D. (2019). Electric car charging stations surpass number of fuel stations in less than 100 years since UK's get-go petrol pump installed. Nissan News. https://great britain.nissannews.com/en-GB/releases/release-c2df391cdf0dd0c30a0575ffb50231f8-uk-ev-charging-stations-surpass-number-of-fuel-stations#