Emerging Technologies Seek to Reduce Environmental Impact

By Jessica Oaks

Look around. So much of the technology you see would have been considered part of the sci-fi realm just 20 years ago. Thousands of books or hundreds of movies can fit on a computer that slips easily into a jacket pocket. Humanity can manipulate the genome, leading to amazing advances in medicine and industry. Technology has improved our lives in innumerable ways. But is it doing the same for the planet? The most truthful answer is probably a thoroughly divided "yes and no."

The negatives of our tech-fueled world are complex. For instance, phones and tablets are making information more accessible, careers more mobile and people more connected than ever before but more than 400,000 mobile devices are trashed every day – sometimes for no sin more egregious than being the wrong color. Recycling programs exist but according to the EPA only 10 percent of phones are recycled. The rest end up as over 65,000 tons of e-waste.

It would be easy, therefore, to look into a future awash with technology and see bleakness. But on the other side of the equation there are emerging technologies that are not only less impactful but may also have a positive net effect on the earth.

The so-called smart grid is one notable example. It hasn't been deployed on a large scale yet but utility companies around the globe are experimenting with two-way digital communication technology that makes it possible to monitor consumption more accurately, automate responsive power delivery and integrate renewable energy onto the grid. On a smaller scale, manufacturers are tapping into the smart grid as they build smarter appliances able to schedule more power-intensive functions (like the auto-defrost cycle in a freezer) to avoid peak power hours. Companies like Samsung are putting the power to live a smart life into people's hands, with smart design, manufacturing and packaging choices; initiatives in cooperation with utility companies to reward consumers for their smarter energy choices; and programs to find ways to extend the lifespan of the devices we all use.

Outside of the tech that's helping making humans better stewards of the planet on the household level, there are amazing eco innovations poised to change our impact as a species. For instance, smart technology may soon be monitoring the ocean for oil spills and overfishing, improving the accuracy of emissions estimates and even encapsulating emissions, harnessing the power of the tides, creating more drinking water through desalination and actually making new oil from carbon-based matter.

A word of caution, however. The need for smart technologies is increasing – whether it's simple innovations like the Nest thermostat that helps people use less energy or the growing infrastructure supporting electric cars, which are less polluting even when their power comes from dirty grids – simply because there are more of us and a shrinking body of non-renewable resources to exploit. The good news is there are plenty of ways to make the world a cleaner, healthier place while boosting the bottom line. But consider that the most exciting smart technologies will never be a perfect replacement for environmental regulations that deal with still-in-use tech that's anything but green. Right now, emerging technology is just one voice in a broader conversation that's honest about how people use tech and about industry's impact on the planet.