GREEN TECHNOLIGY, WHY GO GREEN?
GUARDEN BY DR. MOHAN GALANDE.
YEAR: 2018-19
NAME: PALLAVI PATIL
SYBMS- .
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
A real spirit of achieving a goal is through the way of excellence and austere
discipline. We would have never succeeded in completing our task without the
cooperation encouragement and help provided to us by various personalities.
With deep sense of gratitude, we express our sincere thanks to our guide DR.
MOHAN GALANDE. For his valuable guidance in carrying out this work
under his effective supervision encouragement, enlightenment and
cooperation.
Last but not least we are thankful to all my friends for their constant
encouragement through this work.
NAME OF STUDENT
PALLAVI PATIL
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Sr.no topic Pg.no
1 introduction 4
2 An Overview of Green Technologies 5
3 Water treatment 6
4 Waste water treatment 8
5 Air Pollution Control 11
6 Waste management 12
7 Environmental Remediation 13
8 Energy efficiency 14
9 Emerging green technologies 15
10 Why go green 16
11 References 20
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Introduction
The term "technology" refers to the application of knowledge for practical purposes. The
field of "green technology" encompasses a continuously evolving group of methods and
materials, from techniques for generating energy to non-toxic cleaning products.
The present expectation is that this field will bring innovation and changes in daily life of
similar magnitude to the "information technology" explosion over the last two decades. In
these early stages, it is impossible to predict what "green technology" may eventually
encompass.
In consequence of spiralling global environmental concerns such as global warming, climate
change and depleting energy resources, green technology has emerged as an important trend
and development in the 21st century. It is believed that the development will lead to global,
sustainable and macro-economic powers that impact economics, societies, cultures and way
of life in the future. In actual fact, perspectives from current green technological
advancement have indicated prospects of intense innovation and changes in daily life of
similar magnitude to the "information explosion” in the 1960s. While predictions on
economics and potential outlook for green technology are promising, green technology
development must be sustainable, and environmental challenges and growths need to be
addressed in a mutually reinforcing manner. Its impacts should be carefully analysed, taking
into consideration both environmental effectiveness and economic efficiency. Thus, the
importance of looking for win-win solutions across the entire economy where sustainability
and growth can be achieved in a cost-effective manner must be emphasized. This chapter
provides an overall perspective of green technology challenges and opportunities in line with
global effort and trend towards sustainable development. Emerging green technologies
covering a wide spectrum of areas are outlined. Challenges from the perspectives of market,
technology, financing and regulatory, as well as opportunities for green technology end users,
solution providers, financial investors, regulators, policy-makers and other stakeholders to
address challenges and to promote the growth of green technology market are also delineated.
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An Overview of Green Technologies
Green technology is the application of the environmental science and technology for the
development and application of products, equipment and systems to conserve the natural
resources and environment, as well as to minimize or mitigate the negative impacts on the
environment from human activities. While ‘Green Technology’ is trendier terminology, it
carries meaning no other than ‘Clean Technology’ or the more traditionally used
‘Environmental Technology’. The field of green technology encompasses a continuously
evolving group of environmentally friendly methods and materials, from techniques for
generating non-conventional energy source such as solar power to management tools that
help in auditing greenhouse gas emissions. Green technology development must be
sustainable, meaning “balancing the fulfilment of human needs with the protection of the
natural environment and resources so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but
in the indefinite future”. Scheme of sustainable development can be fulfilled at the
confluence of three key dimensions, viz. environment-social-economic, thus satisfying
‘bearable’ environment and social impact, ‘equitable’ social and economic solutions, and
‘viable’ economic and environmental options.
Conventional green technologies have been applied in the fields of water and wastewater
treatment, air pollution control, environmental remediation, waste treatment and
management, and energy conservation. The following sections discuss some basic knowledge
and applications of green technologies in these fields.
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Water Treatment
Water treatment is the process of removing undesirable chemical, physical and biological
contaminants from raw or contaminated water. The purpose is to produce water suitable for a
specific application. Water treatment may be designed for a variety of applications, including
meeting the requirements of human consumption (potable water), medical and pharmacology,
chemical and industrial applications. The common stages of treatment include pre-
chlorination, coagulation and flocculation, sedimentation, filtration, disinfection, post-
chlorination and fluoridation. The main purpose of pre-chlorination is to remove odor, taste
and smell of raw water in particularly those containing organic substances such as humid
acids. Coagulation and flocculation and chemical process that removing fine and suspended
solids in the water. The flocculated solids are removed via the sedimentation tank.
Fines particulates that escape the coagulation-flocculation-sedimentation process will be
trapped in the downstream sand filter beds. Some modern treatment plants adopt
unconventional green technology to increase the filtration efficiency, such as the use of
membrane filtration. The water after filtration needs to be disinfected using chlorination to
eliminate pathogenic microorganisms such as parasites, bacteria, algae, viruses, fungi.
Because of the concern of formation of carcinogenic trihalomethane in drinking water arising
from the use of chlorination, more and more treatment plants are switching to ozonation as
the disinfection method, albeit ozonation is relatively more expensive in the first and running
costs.
As ozone is highly unstable and it reverts to oxygen soon after it is produced, it has no
residual disinfection effect as chlorination does. To provide residual disinfection capability,
post-chlorination is still being practiced in many treatment plants. To complete the water
treatment process, the last step of treatment is fluoridation with an objective of preventing
teeth decay of the population.
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The standards for drinking water quality are typically set by governments or by international
standards such as the World Health Organization. It is not possible to tell whether a water
sample is of an appropriate quality by visual examination. Chemical analysis, while
expensive, is the only way to obtain the information necessary for deciding on the appropriate
method of treatment.
According to a 2007 World Health Organization report (WHO 2007), 1.1 billion people lack
access to an improved drinking water supply, 88% of the 4 billion annual cases of diarrheal
disease are attributed to unsafe water and inadequate sanitation and hygiene, and 1.8 million
people die from diarrheal diseases each year. The WHO estimates that 94% of these diarrheal
cases are preventable through modifications to the environment, including access to safe
drinking water. Simple green technologies for treating water at home, such as chlorination,
filters, and solar disinfection, and storing it in safe containers could save a huge number of
lives each year (WHO 2005). It appears that reducing deaths from waterborne diseases is a
major public health goal in many developing countries.
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Wastewater Treatment
Wastewater treatment is the process of removing contaminants from wastewater and
household sewage, both industrial effluents and domestic. It includes a series of green
technologies to remove physical, chemical and biological contaminants with an objective to
produce an environmentally-safe treated effluent stream.
The purpose of wastewater treatment is to prevent water pollution of the receiving
watercourse. Before discharging wastewater back into the environment, it is necessary to
provide some degree of treatment or purification in order to protect public health and
environmental quality. This is achieved by wastewater treatment plants designed to:
• reduce dissolved biodegradable organics
• remove most of the suspended solids
• destroy pathogenic microorganisms
When effluents are discharged into sensitive areas which may intermittently suffer
eutrophication, they must also comply with nutrient standards. Two additional important
parameters are total phosphorus and total nitrogen. Disinfection, usually with chlorine, serves
to destroyed most pathogens.
Wastewater treatment processes are often divided into four stages:
• Pre-treatment
• Primary treatment
• Secondary treatment
• Tertiary or advanced treatment
A schematic diagram of a typical wastewater treatment plant is shown in Figure 2. The
preliminary and primary treatment processes involve separating the floating and suspended
solids from the wastewater. This separation is usually accomplished by screening and
sedimentation.
The effluent from primary treatment will usually contain a considerable amount of organic
material with a relatively high biochemical oxygen demand (BOD). Secondary treatment
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involves further treatment of the primary effluent. Removal of the organic matter and the
residual suspended material is generally accomplished by biological processes.
The effluent from secondary treatment usually has little BOD. Advanced treatment is used
for the removal of dissolved and suspended materials remaining after normal biological
treatment when required for water reuse or for the control of eutrophication in receiving
waters.
The rising cost of water as natural resources and increasing environmental awareness have
driven many businesses to deploy green technologies to reduce carbon footprints and to
minimize wastewater production. Coupled with an increasing demand for high purity water
from other industries, several industries are forced to seek out technological solutions, such
as seawater desalination and process/wastewater recycling, to fulfil their water needs (such as
seawater desalination, or process/wastewater recycling). Using advanced green technology, it
is now possible to reclaim wastewater effluent for reuse purposes including drinking water.
Water scarcity issues have made treated wastewater an attractive source for some industries
(for example, livestock watering and irrigation) in some arid areas. Many industries are
taking effort and initiatives to reduce production costs by establishing closed-loop recycling
systems within the plants. In many cases, the costs associated with production are directly
related to the production of ultra-pure water that is used in the manufacturing process. The
consensus is that in many instances throughout the process at manufacturing facilities, it is far
more beneficial to treat water through recycling of used water. This gives these facilities a
water quality that is much higher than a traditional water source. In turn, the reclaim water
produces a product quality that is much more enhanced, while in effect curtailing expenses at
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the manufacturing facility. It is simpler to recycle water with known constituents, such as the
process water, than to formulate a plan to produce pure and ultra-pure water from raw
groundwater sources.
Efficiency gains and revolutionary technological developments are expected to make
recycled water cost-competitive with other water provision options. Advancements in
membrane technologies, for example, have increased the potential uses for membranes in
treating both process water and wastewater streams achieving both cost and quality
competitiveness. As competition intensifies, price cuts will provide some respite to cost-
conscious customers and further boost the uptake of water recycling equipment.
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Air Pollution Control
Air pollution is the introduction of chemicals, particulate matter, or biological materials that
cause harm or discomfort to humans or other living organisms, or cause damage to the natural
environment or built environment, into the atmosphere.
To destroy contaminants or remove them from an exhaust stream before it is emitted into the
atmosphere, pollution control devices are commonly used by industry or transportation
devices to control particulates, NOx, acid gas/SO2, volatile organic carbon, mercury, dioxin,
furan and other air toxins.
Our concern on air pollution has been escalating. Concentrations of pollutants emitted from
many of man’s activities arising from urbanization and industrialization thus built up to levels
which override those caused by natural phenomena, and are sufficient to have adverse effects
on our living environment. Of growing concern is the greenhouse gas emissions which have
been identified as the main culprit for global warming and climate change. The greenhouse
effect is a phenomenon whereby greenhouse gases create a condition in the upper atmosphere
causing a trapping of heat and leading to increased surface and lower troposphere
temperatures. Carbon dioxide emissions from combustion of fossil fuels are a main source of
greenhouse gas emissions. Other greenhouse gases include methane, hydrofluorocarbons,
perfluorocarbons, chlorofluorocarbons, nitrogen oxides, and ozone. This effect has been
understood by scientists for about a century, and technological advancements during this
period have helped increase the breadth and depth of data relating to the phenomenon.
Currently, scientists are exploring new green technology to mitigate greenhouse gas emission
such as development of fossil fuels replacement fuels like biofuels, renewable energy, carbon
dioxide sequestration and many other ways and means to reduce emission of greenhouse
gases.
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Waste Management
Waste management is the purification, consumption, reuse, disposal and treatment of solid
waste that is looked after by the government or the ruling bodies of a city/town. The term
‘solid waste’ usually relates to materials produced by human activity, and is generally
undertaken to reduce their effect on health, the environment or aesthetics. Waste management
can involve solid, liquid, gaseous or radioactive substances, with different methods and fields
of expertise for each. In some instances, green waste management is also carried out to
recover resources from it.
Green waste management practices differ for developed and developing nations, for urban
and rural areas, and for residential and industrial producers. Management for non-hazardous
waste residential and institutional waste in metropolitan areas is usually the responsibility of
local government authorities, while management for non-hazardous commercial and
industrial waste is usually the responsibility of the generator.
The waste management industry has been slow to adopt new technologies such as Radio
Frequency Identification (RFID) tags, GPS and integrated software packages which enable
better quality data to be collected without the use of estimation or manual data entry.
Technologies like RFID tags are now being used to collect data on presentation rates for
curb-side pick-ups which is useful when examining the usage of recycling bins or similar.
Benefits of GPS tracking is particularly evident when considering the efficiency of adhoc
pick-ups where the collection is done on a consumer request basis. Integrated software
packages are useful in aggregating this data for use in optimization of operations for waste
collection operations.
Integrated waste management using life cycle analysis attempts to offer the most benign
options for green waste management. A number of broad studies have indicated that waste
administration, source separation and collection followed by reuse and recycling of the non-
organic fraction and energy and compost/fertilizer production of the organic waste fraction
via anaerobic digestion to be the favoured waste management option. Non-metallic waste
resources are not destroyed as with incineration, and can be reused/ recycled in a future
resource depleted society.
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Environmental Remediation
Environmental remediation deals with the removal of pollution or contaminants from
environmental media such as soil, groundwater, sediment, or surface water for the general
protection of human health and the environment or from a Brownfield site intended for
redevelopment. Environmental remediation is the removal of pollutants or contaminants for
the general protection of the environment. This is accomplished by various chemical,
biological, and bulk movement methods, in conjunction with environmental monitoring.
Remediation is generally subject to an array of regulatory requirements, and also can be
based on assessments of human health and ecological risks where no legislated standards
exist or where standards are advisory.
Various remediation technologies have been developed which can be categorized into ex-situ
and in-situ methods. Ex-situ methods involve excavation of effected soils and subsequent
treatment at the surface, In-situ methods seek to treat the contamination without removing the
soils. The more traditional remediation approach consists primarily of soil excavation and
disposal to landfill "dig and dump" and groundwater "pump and treat". In situ technologies
include Solidification and Stabilization and have been used extensively.
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Energy Efficiency
Energy efficiency refers to the goal of efforts to reduce the amount of energy required to
provide products and services. It involves the use of green technologies and devices that
require smaller amounts of energy in order to reduce the consumption of electricity. Energy
efficiency can be achieved through increased efficient energy use, in conjunction with
decreased energy consumption and/or reduced consumption from conventional energy
sources.
There are various motivations to improve energy efficiency. Reducing energy use reduces
energy costs and may result in a financial cost saving to consumers if the energy savings
offset any additional costs of implementing an energy efficient technology. Reducing the use
of electricity through energy efficiency causes less fossil fuels to be burned and hence
contribute to greenhouse gas emissions mitigation. Energy efficiency can result in increased
financial capital, environmental quality, national security, personal security, and human
comfort. Individuals and organizations that are direct consumers of energy choose to
conserve energy to reduce energy costs and promote economic security. Industrial and
commercial users can increase energy use efficiency to maximize profit.
According to the International Energy Agency, improved energy efficiency in buildings,
industrial processes and transportation could reduce the world's energy needs in 2050 by one
third, and help control global emissions of greenhouse gases (Hebden 2006). Energy
efficiency and renewable energy are said to be the twin pillars of sustainable energy policy
(Prindle et al. 2007). In many countries energy efficiency is also seen to have a national
security benefit because it can be used to reduce the level of energy imports from foreign
countries and may slow down the rate at which domestic energy resources are depleted.
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Emerging Green Technologies
For populations to achieve sustainable living on this planet, conventional technologies may
no longer able to tackle emerging environmental issues arising from wasteful energy policies,
overuse of resources, water supply shortages, climate change, global warming and
deforestation. Advancement in science and technology has contributed to the development of
emerging green technologies that might help to solve some, if not all, of the environmental
issues that we are facing. As we move towards technological advancement, we will be
positively affected with the new economy. This section discusses emerging green
technologies that will propel our economy in the near future.
Green technology will be considered to be the most predictable in the future. From energy
saving light bulb and electric car, we can conclude that a complete set is important to
magnify the effect of a green technology in developing the environment. For example, the
electricity for electric cars is generated from an electric power plant using renewable energy;
the amount of carbon dioxide emitted would be further reduced. In the case of energy saving
light bulb, a comprehensive recycling system should be set up. This helps to reduce the
release of toxic substances like mercury.
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Why Go Green
Temperatures worldwide are rising. The polar icecaps are melting. And super
cities like Tokyo, San Francisco and Mumbai run the risk of drowning under
rising sea water in the not so distant future.
Yes, we’re talking about climate change. And how it’s forcing corporations,
governments and citizens’ organizations to come together and find solutions to
leave behind a habitable planet for future generations.
As a business owner, you too can do your bit to save the environment you live
in and benefit from. What’s more, you also stand to be rewarded handsomely
for showing a little consideration towards Mother Nature.
There is a variety of reasons to go green, but most come back to supply and
demand. We have a limited amount of resources available and more and more
people using them up. If we want our future generations to enjoy the same
standard of living, we've experienced, we need to take action.
Green building is a great place to start, as buildings consume 14% of potable
water, 40% of raw materials, and 39% of energy in the United States alone
(according to the US Green Building Council). That's 15 trillion gallons of
water and 3 billion tons of raw materials each year! If that's not enough to
convince you, here are some other reasons to go green:
For the Environment
Want to make the world a better place? Implementing green practices into your
home or office can help reduce waste, conserve natural resources, improve both
air and water quality, and protect ecosystems and biodiversity.
For the Savings
Want to make your dollar go further? Green systems and materials reduce
energy consumption, which in turn reduce your energy bills. They also increase
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asset value and profits and decrease marketing time; making your dollar go
further for longer.
For Your Health
Want to live healthier? Green building isn't just good for the environment; it's
also good for YOU. Sustainable design and technology enhance a resident's
overall quality of life by improving air and water quality and reducing noise
pollution. According to a 2006 study by the Centre of the Built Environment,
University of California, green office buildings improve productivity and
employee satisfaction in the workplace.
your business to go green
Most businesses view the emphasis on ‘going green’ as an unnecessary
headache that only adds to their expenses. That’s an extremely short-term view
on the matter. Nearly every measure taken to reduce your carbon footprint and
lessen your impact on the environment results in benefits in the long run. So,
what can you do to show off your eco-friendly side without burning a hole on
your pocket? Here are some ideas.
Reduce your consumption of natural resources
The simplest and quickest way to becoming less of a burden on the planet is by
reducing the amount of resources you and your business consume. Not only will
this reduction be light on your pocket, it will also go a long way in conserving
non-renewable resources like oil and natural gas. Some areas that businesses
can reduce include:
Reduce paper usage by opting for double sided printing.
Another way of reducing your paper consumption is by going electronic.
Take your record keeping, internal communications, and customer
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communications to the cloud and save huge money on printing, paper and
filing expenses.
Reduce the use of electricity by using the stairs instead of the elevator.
There’s a health benefit wrapped up in a green venture!
Install low flow faucets and toilets in your office to reduce wastage of
water.
Business travel, whether local or international, has a huge impact on
consumption of fossil fuels. Reduce these consumption levels by opting
instead for video conferencing with clients, partners or co-workers based
in different locations. Skype, Google Hangouts, even FaceTime are free
alternatives to expensive business trips.
Allow telecommuting for employees who live too far from your
workplace. With collaboration tools like Basecamp and Wrike, it’s easier
than pie to co-ordinate between team members located around the world.
Reduce the amount of packaging your product uses. Alternately switch to
eco-friendly packaging to lower your environmental footprint.
the benefits of going green
As mentioned earlier, there are multiple ways in which your business can stand to gain from
going green. From tax rebates to pricing incentives from various public bodies and
environmental organizations to increased interest from consumers, a green reputation for your
business can be worth millions of that other green we all love: cash.
Government Incentives. The EPA has strict laws protecting our environment from
businesses and their resulting hazardous by-products. It is not enough to follow the bare
minimum EPA regulations like dealing with toxic substances like lead paint or mold. The
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government offers incentives at a state and federal level to businesses in the form of tax
breaks and credits.
Customer Perceptions. A Nielsen study of consumer attitudes across 60 countries found that
55% of consumers worldwide would pay a premium for products offered by eco-friendly and
socially responsible companies. These consumer claims are also backed up by research of
actual sales figures.
Contributing to maintaining and upkeep of your immediate surroundings builds a positive
image about your company in the local community. According to the Network for Business
Stability, sales grow by $6 for every dollar donated by a company towards green initiatives.
New Opportunities. Not only do more consumers prefer eco-friendly products, a lot of
government procurement policies insist on using green businesses as their suppliers,
tradesmen and other business partners. By going free, you open up a large and lucrative
market to sell to. Sustainable procurement is a real thing people.
The Green Procurement Compilation created by the General Services Administration in the
United States offers detailed requirements from an ecological perspective for various
products and services. Check out what the requirements are for your product category and get
set to supply for large government contracts.
Cost Savings. Another great benefit of turning your business eco-friendly, is that huge
savings that it brings with it. The Carden Park Golf Resort and Spa in Cheshire, England,
invested about GBP 10,000 in a waste management system that was environment friendly.
The hotel now saves over GBP 10,697 each year from the on-site glass crusher. This device
turns glass jars and bottles into sand in a jiffy and this sand is then reused by the resort across
its golf course. Now that’s both green and creative!
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References
https://www.green-technology.org/what.htm
http://www.rroij.com/open-access/emerging-green-technologies
Why_Go_Green.pdf
https://www.business.com/articles/earth-day-aspirations-saving-money-while-
saving-the-environment/
green technolog.pdf
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