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The banner for this forum proclaims that it is "The Green Living Forum - Sustainable energy, ecology, conservation, local agriculture." Since some posters seem confused about the purpose for this forum, I thought it would be good to recenter around basic principles of what key Green Technologies are, and how they are committed to making our human culture more sustainable, and less damaging to this small blue spaceship we're all traveling through space on.
So for starters, what is Green Technology? Here's one writers take on it...
Quote:
Focus on green technology
Since we need to find ways to cause minimal damage to the environment, some of the fastest-growing jobs in the future will be in the fields of energy management and sustainability.
IN this article, the spotlight is on Green Technology. It is commonly referred to as environmental technology and clean technology.
The types of green technology are usually seen in energy usage efficiency (energy conservation), green buildings (use of materials that are non damaging to the environment), green chemistry (chemicals that are non-damaging to the environment) and green nanotechnology (use of materials at the smallest nanometer based on green principles).
Green technology is critical to the future of our society.
Its main significance is to find the means to produce technology in ways that do not damage or deplete the Earth’s natural resources.
The use of green technology is fundamentally to reduce the amount of waste and pollution that is created during the process of consumption and production. It promotes re-using and re-cycling.
SO designing, building, operating and maintaining the latest, greatest most efficient and versatile natural gas fired powered plants to date is Green Technology? Wait till I tell the boys!
SO designing, building, operating and maintaining the latest, greatest most efficient and versatile natural gas fired powered plants to date is Green Technology? Wait till I tell the boys!
No, because gas fired power plants are damaging to the planet.
Are they greenER than coal fired plants? Yes, and that's why they have been embraced as a transitional power source while truly sustainable replacements can be found.
But we shouldn't forget that both the damage from fracking to produce the gas and the carbon released by burning the gas for energy is a temporary solution. We need to replace it with clean renewable energy as soon as possible.
We should be careful about throwing around terms like "sustainable", "clean" and "renewable" because many technologies that are said to be green aren't. The merits of those terms are in the eyes of the beholder.
We should be careful about throwing around terms like "sustainable", "clean" and "renewable" because many technologies that are said to be green aren't. The merits of those terms are in the eyes of the beholder.
I agree in theory, however I don't believe absolute accuracy in language is required in order to have meaningful discussions about reducing our impact on the environment. Nor are precise definitions needed to make actual progress. I find that the constant attacks from various critics here carping about how some word or another isn't actually true accomplishes nothing.
For example, in another thread some hardhead tried again and again to dominate a discussion about EVs by insisting that ZEVS (Zero Emissions Vehicles) didn't deserved to be called zero emissions, because the vinyl upholstery and dashboard outgasses as it ages. While true in an absolute sense, it made absolutely no difference in trying to discuss the practical differences between a gasoline fueled Internal Combustion Engine (ICE), which emits carbon dioxide and other pollutants in its gaseous exhaust, and a battery power Electric Vehicle (EV), which has no exhaust. And it should be noted that the federal and state laws regulating ZEVS don't refer to them as Almost Zero Emissions Vehicles.
So while Green should probably be GreenER, it's just a clumsy term, so we say Green and everybody knows what we're talking about. Only people with contrary agendas find anything wrong with that.
Similarly Clean means CleanER, and Sustainable means More Sustainable, but come on... we all know what we're talking about when we use those terms. It's not worth calling people hypocrites because they use the popular term rather than absolutely to the nth degree accurate but horribly clumsy term.
Renewable, however, is pretty straightforward, in my book. Solar power is renewable, because no matter how much you use today, tomorrow there will be just as much available. It doesn't get consumed on the process of using it, unlike the finite supply of fossil fuels, which are both consumed and diminished as we use them. There is no more being made.
The sun, however, is gonna come up tomorrow... bet your bottom dollar...
Thanks for all that, but I'm sure I can figure out things like that.
I'm sure you can, but unfortunately there are some folks here who can't, and it gets tiresome to keep dealing with empty complaints instead of having straightforward discussions.
Love to know what "Green" is going to do when sun dies?
You do know all sun dies do you?
And your point is? When the sun dies in another 5 billion years or so I'm sure we will have developed technology to deal with it... probably to migrate to other solar systems... if we are still around.
Frankly, I think we are facing a far bigger threat to our own existence than we are from the sun dying. And a lot sooner too. That's why we need to pay attention to Green technologies, and devote major investments to them.
We should be careful about throwing around terms like "sustainable", "clean" and "renewable" because many technologies that are said to be green aren't. The merits of those terms are in the eyes of the beholder.
So true.
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