The reliance on technology to solve environmental problems has seen a pragmatic evolution lately.
New technologies evolve in response to population growth, economic pressure and demand for increased safety, better health, more nutritious food, economic welfare, security, and a sound environment.
The emergence of environmentalism in the 1960s reflected the growing concerns of the developed world in relation to the undesirable effects that industrial and economic development have on the environment.
One important aspect of global technological advance is the transfer of technology from developed to developing nations. Power generation is a good example.
According to a recent report by the World Energy Council, the demand for electricity will double by 2060, requiring greater infrastructure investment in smart systems that promote energy efficiency.
Electricity is one of the most important advances that science has given to mankind. It is very hard to estimate just how important electricity is to nearly every aspect of modern life, from simple lighting to powering massive manufacturing.
For countries, then, securing adequate supplies of electricity is a paramount task. It is also a prerequisite for creating economic growth.
Unfortunately, electricity supplies are limited. Efforts to increase supply and meet the demands of greater energy consumption have had a significant negative impact on the environment.
Our drive for energy is accelerating climate change and exacerbating environmental problems such as acid rain, a global issue that requires innovative responses.
Corporations have a responsibility to balance opportunities for growth with the need to seek out eco-friendly paths to achieve that growth.
And in some cases, corporations are better poised than many countries to tackle such a large-scale problem.
While driven primarily by the need to make bigger profits in the past, growing awareness of climate change has caused pressure on corporations to become part of the solution rather than the problem.
Home appliances consume large amounts of energy. It is estimated that more than 25 per cent of the world’s energy consumption goes to heating, ventilation, and air conditioning as well as the lighting of residential and commercial buildings.
Therefore, by concentrating on making this aspect of human life more efficient and less wasteful, there are significant gains to be made in protecting the environment.
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To achieve success in this endeavour, technological innovations are crucial.
Air conditioners, unlike refrigerators that dump heat in the room (which is what happens at the back of a refrigerator), send it outdoors.
Air conditioners use a lot of electricity because they involve repeated cycles of compressing gas to become liquid, and that consumes power.
Because much global economic development has happened, and will continue to happen, in hot climates, the demand for air conditioning is expected to increase markedly.
Therefore, there is a need for a much more energy-efficient way to accomplish space cooling.
In this regard, new air conditioners with energy-saving capabilities have been identified as truly the next generation.
When compared with conventional units, inverter air conditioners take advantage of unique technological innovations that can control cooling and heating appropriately based on the ambient temperature.
These energy-efficient air conditioners achieve strong performance levels while at the same time cutting back on the amount of electricity being used.
To conclude, it is clear that the human race faces a global environmental problem.
To help alleviate this situation, global leaders must advocate, corporations must innovate, and consumers in the end must execute with smart purchases.
It is with such a group effort that we can sustain economic growth as well as environmental sustainability.