Green Roofs

A new green technology is here:  The Green Roof.  Kristen Getter, the leader of a study carried out at Michigan State University, examined 12 Sedum-covered roofs.  They then grew their own.  In the end, they discovered that the roofs had the ability to absorb carbon from the atmosphere, just as any other plants would.  The difference now is that the space usually taken up by commercial housing can now contribute to the environment.  The green roofs provide the housings an option that can reduce their carbon footprint on the world.  Green technology is defined as the application of environmental science to conserve the natural environment and resources.  However, in a time where green is the world’s favorite color, innovations such as this do not always add up.

For example, the researchers found that the roofs could absorb up to 375 grams per square meter.  In actuality, this amount of carbon absorption does not make up for the amount of carbon used to make the roof itself.  It was estimated that a green roof would take up to 7 years to actually become carbon-negative.  It is not commonly known, but many green technologies are not as efficient as we would like to think them to be.  For example, while recycling allows cans, plastics, and paper to be reused, the labor and resources expended in its process cancels out its net worth.  Critics even go as far to say that the recycling process makes matters worse.

This article is not written to criticize green technology, but instead to highlight the technology that is making a difference, or may make a difference in the future.  Green roofs are just one of many innovations that may benefit the environment.  Listed below are 4 breakthroughs in green technology that may provide a brighter, but hopefully not too much warmer, future.

1.  In 2008, MIT chemist Daniel Nocera discovered a catalyst that he claims will drop the cost of extraction hydrogen and oxygen from water, possibly opening the door for inexpensive systems that use water to store solar energy.  Nocera’s catalyst allows the extraction process to work at room temperature and ordinary pressure.

2.  Green communities have become a reality.  Technology has allowed communities to live completely off the grid.  In these green communities, houses often use solar energy to power the amenities inside.  In addition, these technologies can better help equip houses in normal communities with more environmentally healthy choices.  For example, solar panels on the roof can provide a house with enough energy to sustain itself without having to use gas or electricity.

3. Solar thermal plants, or “the other solar power,” are a new type of green technology that uses sunlight to create steam that, in turn, power turbines.  The new technology uses mirrors and avoids relying on direct sunlight to produce energy.  Instead, it has the ability to create energy even after the sun goes down.

4. In Sweden, Scotland, and parts of the US, scientists have begun to use a new technology that harnesses the power of the ocean to create power.  The technology focuses tidal pulls and forces of waves into energy and feeds this energy directly into the nation’s power grids.  It is completely renewable and produces zero emissions.

Planet Earth

Around the world, the threat of a dying planet has spurred the development of many new “green” technologies.  From the production of biogas to the abundance of solar, wind, and water renewable energy, innnovators from all around the world have shifted their focus to the development of technologies capable of reducing the carbon footprint of the human race.

Politicians continue to preach green, creating countless new legislation in favor of saving our planet.  The development of biofuels and biogas is growing exponentially.  However, while most people may think of green technology as renewable energy, there is now an abundance of unique, creative technologies around the world that are contributing to a more energy-efficient planet.

Listed below are a few examples of these technologies:

1.  The Magnetic Fridge

In Cambridge, the company Camfridge has begun to develop a new refrigerator that uses magnetic fields to cool metal alloys.  The new method of cooling is a technology that is predicted to cut energy usage by 40%.  As refrigerators and air conditioners are the most electricity consuming home applications, this new technology may help to cut energy consumption around the planet.

2.  Methane Harvesting

In Penkun, Germany, a biogas plant has begun to extract methane from manure and using it as fuel.  This new method can provide usable fuel around the whole planet from what we would usually consider waste.  Fermenters are used to generate energy for all 50,000 citizens of Penkun.

3.  Microwave Chemicals

Chemical manufactureres around the planet use an exhorbinant amount of energy heating chemical reagents.  Microwaves may be implemented as a new method of heating these reagents.  The new green technology may cut chemical production energy costs up to 90%.  It method is still under development in the UK, however.

4.  Remote Power Monitors

In Austrailia, the company Semitech Innovations located in Melbourne has created a new controller that allows you to monitor and control all household appliances.  This is available to be done through the computer or a mobile phone.  The added control over energy consumption can aid in reducing energy consumption all around the planet.

5.  Energy Producing Tiles

A US company named PowerLeap has recently developed tiles that can generate energy when stepped on.  Using American feet as an energy generator is an idea that can utilize the busy nature of our country to better our environment.  The technology is suggested to be used in high-traffic areas such as Penn Station in New York and could generate up to 18,250 kilowatt-hours per 100 square meters per year.

These technologies are but 5 of countless other technologies aimed at the effort to save our planet.  Companies will continue to develop these technologies if not only due to the effect of supply and demand.  As more and more people realize the threat of the world’s energy consumption on the planet, more technologies will continue to be developed, all working together to provide as much protection for our planet as possible.