How Technology is Helping the Environment

It may be the topic of much debate, but environmental technology is constantly evolving and making a difference to the world around us. From electric cars to paperless contracts, the latest technology is ensuring a brighter future for our planet. In this blog post we take a look at some of the cool and innovative new developments in technology that are helping the environment.

What’s new in environmental technology?

Chances are you’re aware of many of the most recent developments in technology. Cars that run on rechargeable batteries, apps for electronic signatures and lab-engineered meat make the news on a regular basis. But whether you’ve heard of them, have adopted them yourself or are simply amazed they exist, there’s no denying that there are some exciting new developments in the field of environmental technology.

• The paperless office
  Did you know that 50% of the waste produced by businesses around the globe consists of paper? While we’re all trying to print fewer emails, and recycling the paper we do use, it’s clear more needs to be done to protect the environment. Tech companies around the globe are assisting businesses and individuals to become paperless.
  With digital contracts, apps that capture electronic signatures and the adoption of paperless technology by major organisations like banks and insurance companies, the future looks bright. As an added bonus, paperless tech can help enhance security as data is collected electronically.

• Saving our wildlife
  With the death of the last male northern white rhino in March 2018, it has become even more clear that we need to do more to protect endangered species. Technology is now an integral part of the ecosystem of protecting and tracking animals in the wild and even preventing forest fires from spreading. Recent developments include animal smart collars with GPS tracking and sensors, allowing tracking and monitoring of endangered species in the wild, and conservation drones which can track and monitor wild forests for natural disasters such as forest fires.

• Smart cars (and trucks)
  We’ve already seen them on our streets, electric cars – like the Tesla Model 3 – which run on rechargeable batteries and are almost three times as energy-efficient as normal fuel cars. With the adoption of the Electric Vehicles Initiative, worldwide use of electric vehicles is set to be the future. Not only do electric vehicles ensure transport is more energy efficient, they also remove our dependence on fossil fuels and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improving air quality in the longer term. It’s not just cars that are getting an eco-makeover though – Tesla are already developing an electric, self-driving semi truck which will be rolled out later this year.

• Meat no longer means murder
  If you don’t want to turn to vegetarianism or veganism but are looking to minimise the impact your diet has on the environment, there may soon be something different you can do about it! We all know the impact that agriculture has on the environment and the methane released by cows, which traps heat on the earth’s surface. But rather than giving up meat entirely, why not switch to a lab-engineered alternative? Companies like Impossible have already created plant-derived meat alternatives grown in labs across the USA. You can try Impossible Burger at restaurants across NYC.
  Leather shoes, jackets and bags could soon be replaced by ‘Zoa’, a new, environmentally friendly material made from fermented yeast. At the moment it’s just on display in the Museum of Modern Art, but one day, you could be wearing it!

• The morning paper – but not as we know it
  Electronic paper is changing the way we read, as anybody who owns a Kindle Paperwhite already knows. In the future, you could read your morning paper and your favourite novel from the same sheet of paper! It looks very much like the real deal, but flexible electronic paper has a display made up of tine microcapsules filled with black and white particles carrying electronic charges. When a positive or negative charge is applied, the particles show up accordingly, displaying different patterns that allow us to read our favourite books, magazines and newspapers.

Implementing environmental technology

Technology is working hard around the globe to help the environment, but you can do your bit too. If you need help implementing a paperless office or developing solutions for a more environmentally friendly business, don’t hesitate to ask the experts.