Kevin Bolland7 Sustainable Technologies that will change the future
Sustainability tech has the potential to revolutionize our entire way of life, over time. While some people are more comfortable with change than others, some of these changes are essential. In sustainability, some of the technologies identified below offer amazing potential to save human life, rehabilitate the earth, and preserve our cultural heritage by creating pathways for humans to spend time in a more fulfilling way.
Sustainability is aimed at reducing the inefficiency and waste; and promoting leisure through contentment and decreased consumption of limited resources. By implementing and developing these technologies over time, we will change the way we look at work and how it is accomplished.
Here are some of the biggest game changes!
1. Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology is the study of materials at atomic level and how they interact with each other. When applied to medicine, nanotechnology could lead to breakthroughs in drug delivery systems and diagnostic tools. Nanoparticles have been shown to deliver drugs more effectively than traditional methods, while being less toxic. In addition, nanoparticles can be used to detect disease-causing organisms and even identify them.
In some cases, Nanotechnologies have been identified as possible construction materials and have properties of self-repair and color retention. With the assistance of nanotechnologies that react to specific conditions, many other incredible inventions will soon come.
Imagine self-repairing concrete, rubber, or fabric. The implications of nanotechnology in main-stream consumer industries makes the next technologies on the list even more thought-provoking.
2. Bioremediation
Bioremediation is the use of biota and microorganisms to clean up pollutants in the environment. It is often used to remove heavy metals, organic compounds, or other undesirables from contaminated soils and waters.
Bioremediation uses bacteria, fungi, algae, and other microbes to break down contaminants and turn them into harmless substances. By studying closely, we've discovered that nature has the stuff. And, I mean, Duh.
Everything that we use, consume, see, or otherwise interact with comes from nature. Even if it's processed or created by artificial laboratory processes. Chemistry and Physics are nature too after all. So, therefore, the next one on the list is:
3. Hydrogen Fuel Cells
Hydrogen fuel cells are devices that produce electricity using hydrogen gas as a power source. These cells do not emit carbon dioxide, making them an environmentally friendly way to generate electricity. Hydrogen fuel cells are already widely used in some applications, including spacecraft propulsion and portable electronics. However, their widespread adoption has been hindered by high costs and lack of infrastructure.
If Infrastructure and production barriers for hydrogen are eliminated, hydrogen has an incredible potential to change the future of our world in many ways.
4. Photovoltaics
Photovoltaic (PV) solar panels convert sunlight directly into electricity using semiconductors. PV technology is commonly used to provide electricity where no other options exist. Solar panels are becoming increasingly popular due to their low maintenance requirements, minimal environmental impact, and low operating costs.
Entire landscapes that would otherwise be barren can now be utilized for energy on huge scales. Some of the concerns associated with solar include mining, maintenance, energy storage, transfer, efficiency, and more. but these challenges are being addressed
5. Water Desalination
Water desalination is the removal of salt (and actually lots of other stuff) from seawater or "brackish" groundwater. While fresh water may be easily obtained from rivers, lakes, and underground aquifers, these freshwater sources often make for easier supply, but obviously are subject to drought and limited supply.
In the case of the sea, every drop of water that comes out of it eventually makes it back.
While environmental conservationists, and marine biologists are concerned about the potential impacts; there are ways to mitigate, manage, and reduce impacts to the ecosystem. Because sea water contain significant amounts of dissolved solids and biotics, there needs to be advancements in multi-stage, environmentally and environmentally efficient filtration. By removing the dissolved and undissolved solids from the water, we obtain purer drinking water from the world's most vast supply.
Although it takes some vision, I believe that once desalination becomes more available and cost effective, environmental impacts as a result of drinking all of the fresh terrestrial water will reverse and that environmental landscapes as well as political lawscapes will change to allow nature to be less impacted (we're literally drinking and diverting the Mighty Mississippi down to almost dry right now).
Reverse osmosis is currently the most common method of desalination, though electrodialysis, vapor compression, and thermal distillation are also used. I believe other methods will also be invented in the years to come.
6. Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) involves capturing carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel combustion and storing them in deep geological formations. CCS is viewed as a potential solution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired power plants. There are several ways to store carbon dioxide, including injecting it back into the ground, compressing it into materials that can be contained, stored, or otherwise stabilized and prevented from being emitted into the atmosphere. Ideally, this method will advance to include many hazardous chemical compounds.
7. Nuclear Fusion
Nuclear fusion is the process by which two lighter elements fuse together to create a heavier one. Scientists theorize that nuclear fusion could be used to generate enormous amounts of energy for Earth’s future generations. This is an extremely challenging field to break into due to a number of factors that you can imagine and many you probably can't....
In reality, the goal of fusion is to create the ideal conditions for what physicists call a "thermonuclear burn".
This means that there is a reaction inside of a burning hot plasma of heavy elements. the electrons collide at high speed and high temperature and "fuse" in a way that produces hydrogen and helium. The fusion produces vast amounts of energy as a nuclear reaction generating heat.
By controlling this expansion of thermonuclear reactivity, we can... in theory... harvest the energy infinitely.
As Doc Oc said it best,
"The Power of the Sun, in the Palm of my hand"
What happens when we lose control of the reaction? Let's hope we don't find out.
Ideally though, in a beautiful and forward-thinking world where everyone shares everything freely for the good of mankind; I want to see us combine all of these technologies to create a super technology.
Imagine if we could invent a rehabilitative environmental supply chain where energy, water, and healthy people were the goal instead of money and fame.
That's the world I want to see blossom. And that's what I want to work for. However;
We can only do it together.
Thanks for reading!
By Kevin Bolland
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