Technology that can save the planet? Haven’t we all actually blamed technology for ruining the environment in the first place? True, the planet has been ruined by the abuse of its resources in the name of tech, but it is equally true that the right technology can and will heal the planet.

Tapping into renewable sources of energy like wind, solar and hydroelectric power can make a whole lot of difference to the environment and technology helps make it more efficient. By effectively tapping and dispensing these renewables, technology has played a huge role in stalling the climate crisis. Then there is the tech that makes the paperless revolution possible. Going Digital can and is saving millions of trees as we saw in a previous blog. This series of blogs is dedicated to exploring new and innovative ways of saving the planet and we are open to featuring some of your ideas. For now, let’s explore three rad ways where tech is helping save the planet.

Carbon Capture

The havoc wreaked by carbon emissions on our environment is a horror story being played out every day. Capturing this poison and alchemizing it into something productive is a solution that is being made possible by companies like Carbonfree Chemicals. Direct capture of carbon emissions from a cement plant and converting it into commercial carbon-negative products is the plan. Their site says: “Carbonfree Chemicals’ vision is to have new or existing industrial manufacturing facilities, refineries, or even power plants equipped (or retrofitted) with SkyMine^® technology. This technology will remove carbon from flue gases and transform it into solids like sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), and also produce hydrochloric acid, caustic soda, and bleach.” The idea is brilliant to say the least. They foresee a reduction of 300,000 tons of CO2 emissions per year through this initiative. This is just one of the many companies and organisations that are working to make this a reality.

Organic Flow Battery

A major breakthrough in the use of renewables is the Organic Flow Battery by Harvard. This is a metal-free flow battery and makes use of carbon-based molecules called quinones and which provides an inexpensive and effective storage of energy. This could replace conventional battery tech that is quite expensive. These organic flow batteries can store larger amounts of energy than conventional batteries. Here’s a quick look at the technology:

 

Drones in Wildlife conservation

The use of drones has made quite the difference in wildlife conservation. Drones can reach places that humans can’t and give us more effective access to wildlife. Spanning large spaces over wildlife reserves, these drones can keep track of endangered species and protect them from poachers. By providing a keener set of eyes, these drones can help conservationists a great deal.

Here is an overview of the amazing work these drones are enabling in Africa:

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-28132521