From Guest Blogger Mary Ann Keel: Emergence and Evolution of Green Technologies
As we progress into the future, there is no question that technology is becoming more and more integrated into our everyday lives. And though we may be quick to discern growing technology with quicker and more efficient means of human productivity, the reliance that modern society places on such advancements has, without a doubt, casted unimaginable burdens within our ecological systems.
With growing populations everywhere, the dependence and demand for energy consumption is at an all-time high, rising exponentially. Many are aware of these threats, making way for the evolution and heavy uprising of green technologies all across the globe.
WHAT IS GREEN TECHNOLOGY?
To sum it up briefly, green technology is the act of modern technology working in perfect harmony with environmental sciences to maximize the maintenance and preservation of natural resources in ecological systems. Its primary conceptual focus is on altering our daily lifestyles by innovating the technology that we utilize each and everyday. The end-result being solutions that aid in steady human advancement, while countering the effects of existing ecological damage.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
In broader form, green technology consists of various important concepts, including sustainability, source diminution, innovation, and feasibility – All of which are vital in their own right, but let’s take a second to elaborate on each one…
Sustainability is essential because it serves as the counter-balance of needs between human technology advancement and ecological preservation.
Source Diminution helps us to be aware of our mass consumption by fixing our methods of manufacturing that would normally result in excess waste and unnecessary pollutants.
Innovation acts as the cornerstone of progress by replacing outdated methods with new and alternative approaches. Good innovative solutions provide us with much better efficiencies and higher appeal to green sensibilities.
Feasibility plays an important role in reassuring that our economies and social structures can, in fact, work within the solutions. When a new innovation is plausible and easy-to-implement, it is much more likely to be adaptable into current systems.
APPLYING GREEN TECHNOLOGY TO COMPUTERS
IT sectors of the industry are now, too, seeing a greater push in implementing green technology. As far as official standards, it has commonly become known as Green Computing (gC) or Green IT (gIT). What this means exactly is that IT processes under the gC/gIT standard should adhere to a particular set of values that all come together to represent an adequate level of sustainability.
These may include things like improving data center designs with a focus on better energy efficiency and overall performance, and pushing products to have the longest lifespan possible. The less waste, the better.
More values to note are that the production of storage devices ought to depend on less energy per gigabyte power, and that it is encouraged to utilize software optimization to better understand algorithm efficiency and resource allocation.
HOW TO ACHIEVE GREEN COMPUTING
When speaking of gC (or gIT), remember that it is a real-life initiative, imploring companies and businesses to analyze and correct the way that they utilize IT resources. It is designed to inform users of an ecologically-sound workflow, while at the same time accomplishing the meaningful benefits of energy efficiency.
In the grand scheme of things, ecological balance and environmentally-friendly practices can be attained by following just a few simple day-to-day procedures:
Avoid printing paper documents and files whenever possible.
If you’re going to use paper, invest in 100% recycled paper.
Disposal of electronic waste should adhere to government standards and regulations.
Shutdown any computer components that are idling for long lengths of time.
Utilize LCD/LED monitors instead of tube displays for less energy consumption.
Leave high-energy consuming machines such as laser printers and scanners off while not in use.
Consider opting for laptop notebooks instead of desktop computers, if possible
Make use of alternative energy sources when in application to computers, servers, and data centers.
THE BIG NAMES ARE ON-BOARD
Large-scale conglomerates like Google, Dell, IBM, Intel, and Hewlett-Packard are all accepting social responsibility in incorporating eco-friendly practices into their daily operations. IBM, for instance, spends billions of dollars each year investing in Green IT by filling their data centers with systems that use the highest-density computing and maximum-efficiency cooling. And then there is Dell, who has made a public vow to cut its greenhouse gas emissions down by up to 40% by 2015 – now that’s progress! It’s clear that due to its highly important nature, IT technology companies all over the globe are stepping up to the plate by playing their part in promoting and implementing conservation tactics like never seen before.
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