Today, new technologies are anchored in our daily life, habits and morals. It has become difficult to live without a telephone, a computer or even the Internet. According to UN estimates, nearly 5 billion people are connected in 2020, and by 2035 the entire planet should have regular access to the Internet.
However, the links established between these technologies and the environment are not very positive. The new practices are costing more and more. According to a study published by GreenIT, the manufacture and use of new technologies are a major source of energy consumption and therefore of greenhouse gas emissions.
For example, Apple’s Iphone X generates nearly 79kg of CO² during its lifetime. In 1954, industrial designer Brook Stevens invented the concept of “programmed obsolescence”. This encourages progressive updates to promote continuous consumption of products.
The Web also has an impact on the environment which is estimated, per person and over one year, to emit more than 200kg of greenhouse gases. It also requires a very important water resource; nearly 3000 liters of water per year. (The manufacture of equipment, the production of electricity and the cooling of data centers all require water). In short, all the actions that can be carried out via the Internet have a certain impact on the environment. Let’s take the example of sending an e-mail that emits up to 19 grams of CO² .
Faced with these major environmental problems, many people are looking for technological solutions capable of sparing our environment: Today we are talking about GREEN technologies.
Green technologies contribute to improving the quality of the environment.
The goal is to optimize the use of energy and find long-term solutions to prevent the degradation of ecosystems. Hence the installation of solar panels, wind turbines and water treatment plants. There are also called “low-tech” innovations that improve our environmental impact, such as insulating a house to avoid spending too much energy.
In order to preserve our biodiversity, here are a few simple tips for combining technology and environmental protection on a daily basis :
- Give preference to the purchase of reconditioned or second-hand equipment
- In case of absence, make sure to turn off the power switch of the internet box.
- Switch to sleep mode at night
- Make conscious digital breaks
- Empty your mailbox!
At Ellcie-Healthy, we take care of our beautiful planet, our connected glasses are certified Origine France Garantie (OFG) so they are produced entirely in France allowing us to reduce our carbon footprint.
- Ecological innovation of the moment :
Dyson, the household appliances brand, is working on a headset that purifies the surrounding air with integrated propellers that rotate at over 12,000 rpm and suck in 1.4 liters of air per second. Thus, it will be possible to listen to music while purifying the air around us !
Sources :
– https://www.linfo.re/magazine/high-tech/676109-l-utilisation-de-nouvelles-technologies-ont-un-impact-sur-l-environnement
– https://www.greenfudge.org/les-nouvelles-technologies-au-service-de-lenvironnement/
– https://www.linfodurable.fr/technomedias/la-pollution-invisible-du-numerique-632
– https://www.sciencepresse.qc.ca/blogue/liride/2019/10/11/technologie-secours-environnement
– https://www.intracen.org/itc/secteurs/technologies-vertes/
– https://youmatter.world/fr/5-conseils-technologie-protection-environnement/