What technologies should be implemented to stop
pollution on Earth?
A pollution prevention technology
is one that creates less pollution in its life cycle than the one it replaces.
Can be achieved in many ways, from better housekeeping and maintenance to
redesign of products and processes. The range of technologies is therefore
very broad. It includes relatively cleaner technologies, technologies that help
other technologies to be cleaner, and certain mass-market technologies. All of
them reduce impacts compared to their
alternatives. It is important to understand that technology does not include
pollution-control or -treatment technologies that do not make the technology
producing the pollution any cleaner itself. They just manage the resulting
waste.
Relatively Cleaner
Technologies
Technology is always
advancing and improving. Many new technologies are naturally more energy
efficient and less polluting than the
ones they replace. Sometimes, this is because they were designed with
environmental improvement in mind. Usually, however, it is simply the result of
using newer and better materials and components. Therefore,
pollution-preventing technologies can be found in every area of a product's
life cycle.
Life cycle analysis is needed to determine if a particular technology really pollutes less than its
alternatives. is the examination of the environmental impacts of a product,
from its origins as raw material through processing and production to use and
final disposal. This can be a complex process. For example, may seem to be less
polluting than incandescent light bulbs because they use much less energy.
However, they actually use polluting chemicals such as mercury that are not
found in incandescent light bulbs. So they use less energy, but more toxic
chemicals. The choice of indicators for performance and such as toxicity or
energy efficiency, is important for evaluation.
Facilitation Technologies
Some technologies are
important for helping other technologies reduce pollution. For example, process
controls such as meters and sensors can make many production processes more
efficient and less polluting by providing improved control, which reduces waste
and defects. Centrifuges can reduce the amount of solids in waste waters,
thereby reducing water pollution. Catalytic converters
on engine exhaust systems can reduce air pollution. There are many such
examples of technologies that help other technologies be cleaner. This is
important in situations where there is a large investment in an existing
technology already installed that cannot be easily or economically replaced
with new and cleaner technology.
Technologies Designed to
Prevent Pollution
Some technologies are
designed specifically for protecting the environment while also improving
business performance. For example, recycling technologies
can help recover valuable materials from wastes, cutting manufacturing costs,
while also preventing pollution. Examples include gene-engineered plants that
do not need protection using chemical insecticides and
fuel cells for generating electricity. However, it is surprisingly challenging
to identify such technologies. Most technologies that stop pollution were
usually created to simply reduce costs and save on materials. Technologies
designed to prevent pollution usually rely on cost efficiency, rather than
pollution prevention, as their main selling point.
One important and
fundamental exception is in chemical design. Thousands of chemicals are used
in industry, commerce, and daily life. Many of them have environmental impacts,
from mild to serious. By developing alternative chemicals with better
environmental performance, significant reductions in pollution can be obtained
throughout product life cycles. A common application of green chemistry is in
the design of environmentally benign solvents. Traditional solvents such as
acetone, xylene, and methy lene chloride are being replaced by new chemicals designed
specifically to be less hazardous or less polluting.
