Go Green

Have you ever heard of the phrase “Go Green”? What does it mean to "Go Green?" Going Green means to adopt certain practices and habits that reduce the overall impact on the environment. These practices may include anything from recycling, reducing energy usage, using public transportation, and buying local products. Going Green is used in our schools, businesses and everyday life practices. New ideas are being invented more than ever these days. These ideas and practices are considered green technology. Green technology refers to the application of knowledge for practical purposes. The field of green technology encompasses a continuously evolving group of methods and materials, from techniques for generating energy to non-toxic cleaning products (http://www.green-technology.org/what.htm ). Some popular examples of green technology are: energy, green building, wind energy, ocean energy, solar power and hydro power. Most of these examples are for renewable energy. “Renewable energy is defined as: to generate electricity, heat, or fuel for use the establishment form” (http://www.bls.gov/respondents/gtp/examples.htm). Although the impacts are small, some renewable energy technologies have an impact on the environment. Technology is also one of the key elements that define a society, and the evolution of technology is critical to the evolution of our world. Technology and technological innovations are naturally subjects of interest in public policy. The following chart explains public policy in green technology (Annex, RP, 2000):

New ideas are coming up every day for use in businesses and in our homes. A few new ideas that have been mentioned are: Solar Tower, Green Concrete, Smart Meters, and Green Concrete. Smart Meters will be helpful for reading our electrical bill. Right now the grid that our meters are plugged into is not up-to-date with technology. They can’t tell when houses loose power unless customers call the company

References: Anex, R. P. (2000). Stimulating innovation in green technology: Policy alternatives and opportunities. The American Behavioral Scientist, 44(2), 188-212. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/214787285?accountid=32521 http://www.bls.gov/opub/btn/volume-2/reduce-reuse-recycle-green-technologies-and-practices-at-work.htm http://www.bls.gov/respondents/gtp/examples.htm http://greenliving.lovetoknow.com/Poems_About_Pollution http://www.greenbeltmovement.org http://www.green-technology.org/what.htm http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/0,28757,2030137,00.html