In 2018, the world has consumed far more natural resources than the planet can regenerate in a year. During the first half of that year, we consumed and spent a year’s worth of resources such as water. That was unprecedented. It will continue for the next two years up until the pandemic hampered economic activities and transportation.
But even as the world slows down because of COVID-19, experts are saying this isn’t enough to revitalize an ailing Mother Earth. We need to act now, both with whatever basic knowledge we have about nature and the science and technology humans have boasted for more than a century.
The truth is that as fast as people are consuming natural resources, that’s also the same rate how they are developing technologies. Society, in fact, can barely keep up with the advances in technology. It has changed the way people live, work, and enjoy. It changed the face of relationships and communication. Businesses rely on technology for every facet of their operations — from hiring people to post-sales support. Is it any wonder then that saving and caring for the environment also hinges on technology?
At Home
The evidence of how technology changes the way people care about the environment can be seen at home. Not only are homeowners using smart devices to manage their homes, but they’re also using energy-saving materials and processes in the construction of these homes. Now more than ever, homeowners care about using green materials and processes from the foundation of the homes to the finishing touches.
In maintaining their homes, they use energy and water-saving technologies, too, that reduce the depletion of natural resources. For professional lawn and landscape maintenance, they use drip irrigation, cisterns, containers, and mulch to save on the needed water to grow plants. They also choose native plants, so they won’t need too much water. It’s the same thing inside their homes where they slow-drip faucets and water-saving toilet flushes to conserve energy and water.
For the temperature indoors, they use smart thermostat devices. These devices will automatically adjust once the house reaches the ambient temperature. Whether because of rising energy bills or rising temperatures in the earth’s ozone layer, homeowners have become more conscious of the way they consume energy at home.
In the Office
This concern trickles to the workspace, too, where business owners work to conserve energy. They encourage the opening of windows to let light and fresh air in. They use LED light bulbs to save energy. Once in a while, business owners also upgrade their systems, equipment, and machines when there are better energy-saving options available in the market.
There is one regard that offices have been very effective at eliminating waste. It is in reducing the need for hard copies of documents. Digital technology allows the sharing of information over the internet—whether by email or project management platforms such as Trello. With these two methods, co-workers no longer need to print copies of documents and p r oposals. They can send the files, edit the files on their computers, and send them back for digital signature.
The same can be said in manufacturing plants and warehouses. The use of inventory software reduced the costly need to drive electric carriers to look for items. That saves on the amount of fuel and electricity needed to power these machines. The manufacturing sector also has scheduled shutdowns and startups of their massive machines and equipment to eliminate energy waste.
In Advocacies
It is easier today to join environmental campaigns and advocacies. Thanks to the internet, people have access to information about how bad the environment is faring. Most of the time, when you live in a bubble of social benefits, capitalism, and advanced technology, you tend to forget that your actions have an impact on the rest of the world. The internet is full of resources about the state of the Amazon forest, as well as the fight for wildlife conservation in Africa.
The information you can find on the internet will help you decide on what environmental cause to throw your support behind. Do you want to save the ocean and marine life? How about the wildlife in the plains of Africa? Technology is bringing all this information to the people who can make a difference. So, whether you’re just sitting in front of your computers or tapping away on your smartphones, know that you can do something to care for the environment.
Technology also has a lot of evils. People shouldn’t fall victims to these ills. Instead, as the ones who made these devices, equipment, machines, programs, tools, and platforms, people should begin using them for what they were meant to do in the first place—making this world a more livable place.
