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Every time our opposable thumbs press down on the pulse of the planet, the throb is weaker. The human race is unique amongst earth’s species in its ability to take endlessly for personal benefit, without giving back to the land. The trees, birds, animals and insects were here long before we had brick and mortar or knew how to use them, but we put our thumbs to fine use and created urban landscapes and concrete jungles. Industry brought the need for big corporations, bigger buildings, flatter roads and shinier buildings. We ignored the excess for decades before we pressed down on the pulse of the planet again only to find that perhaps we would not survive long unless lives changed lifestyles changed. However, there is some good news. The very industry that led to the earth’s sorry state of affairs has the ability and the intellectual equipment to remedy its Frankenstein. With the help of advanced scientific discovery and experimentation, it is now possible to use environmental science, green technology and electronic devices to monitor and conserve the natural environment and our ecosystems. All these things go by the somewhat ironic term ‘green technology’ – technical methods employed to “re-green” our planet. The broad focus of green technology is sustainability and the need to reduce the ecological footprint of business operations. Corporations can achieve this by offering a host of products and services to both customers and business partners that will allow them to make their own businesses more sustainable. Green technology and green thinking is primarily about good citizenship. It stems from the somewhat enlightened belief that corporations are socio-economic citizens and their objectives have to go hand in hand with the goals of the society. Hence, energy efficiency and the reduction of greenhouse gases (GHGs), water conservation through recycling and harvesting, and waste management are no longer optional acts of charity; they should be a part of a deliberate set of intentions on the part of all responsible corporations. An interesting way of approaching green technology is to understand the need to move away from a cradle-to-grave blueprint and towards a cradle-to-cradle one. This essentially means that products should no longer be created to serve a sole purpose, only to be discarded at the end of its service. Products should instead be created such that they can be fully recycled several times over; they should use less water, less energy and fewer non-renewable parts. To end, there is a popular Cree Indian saying that captures the essence of green technology: “Only after the last tree has been cut down. Only after the last river has been poisoned. Only after the last fish has been caught. Only then will you find that money cannot be eaten.” As terrifying as it sounds, it simply means that all the material and methods involved in creating a livelihood should ensure that the world around us continues to be non-toxic, that the products we use are always renewable. Get more information on: Green Technology & Sustainable Communities
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