Green Technology – Past, Present, Future
Green technology is not just something of the present; it has history and is going to play a big role in the future. “The term ‘technology’ refers to the application of knowledge for practical purposes.” (http://www.green-technology.org, 2010) With that being said, green technology is a method of products designed to protect our environment from toxins. We are living in the age of technology, but we are not living in the environmentally “cleanest” era. In the 21st century we need to look into the future and prepare for a cleaner environment with the impact of human involvement.
Past
Although we do not hear a lot about the history of green technology there is a long time line of ideas. For example, since 1000 B.C., Asia and Europe began harnessing and advancing wind energy, developing more efficient and newer windmills. When this idea reached America in the 1850’s it was used to provide fresh water to irrigate the farms and drinking water for the livestock. “During the late 19th century, Charles Brush was able to develop the first wind powered turbine that generated electricity in the United States.” (http://www.cn-friendtech.com, 2010) The United States EPA’s (Environmental Protection Agency) Energy Star Program was one of the most important landmarks in green technology in 1992. Energy Star is a program that segregates computers, monitors, electronics, appliances and other equipment based on their energy efficiency. We now know this as “sleep mode” on our computers. It allows us to set a time if our computer is unattended to go into standby.
Another important landmark was the Kyoto Protocol in 1997, aimed at reducing carbon emissions. The landmark in the history of green computing was the adoption of Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) in February 2003. “The RoHS directive restricts the use of lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls, and polybrominated diphenyl ether in the manufacture of electronic and electrical
Past
Although we do not hear a lot about the history of green technology there is a long time line of ideas. For example, since 1000 B.C., Asia and Europe began harnessing and advancing wind energy, developing more efficient and newer windmills. When this idea reached America in the 1850’s it was used to provide fresh water to irrigate the farms and drinking water for the livestock. “During the late 19th century, Charles Brush was able to develop the first wind powered turbine that generated electricity in the United States.” (http://www.cn-friendtech.com, 2010) The United States EPA’s (Environmental Protection Agency) Energy Star Program was one of the most important landmarks in green technology in 1992. Energy Star is a program that segregates computers, monitors, electronics, appliances and other equipment based on their energy efficiency. We now know this as “sleep mode” on our computers. It allows us to set a time if our computer is unattended to go into standby.
Another important landmark was the Kyoto Protocol in 1997, aimed at reducing carbon emissions. The landmark in the history of green computing was the adoption of Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) in February 2003. “The RoHS directive restricts the use of lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls, and polybrominated diphenyl ether in the manufacture of electronic and electrical
References: Green Technology. Strategy and leadership for clean and sustainable communities. 2010. Retrieved June 28th 2010 on http://www.green-technology.org Guide to Greener Electronics. Greenpeace. Greenpeace International. 2010. Retrieved July 1st 2010 on http://www.greenpeace.org Wind Energy: A Brief History. 2010. Retrieved July 2nd 2010 on http://www.cn-friendtech.com Nayab, N. (2010) History of Green Technology. Retrieved July 6th 2010 on http://www.brighthub.com