The advent of green technology was in response to a variety of circumstances that lead
people to seek alternative forms of energy. Chief of these has been climate change largely the
result of the Industrial Revolution and its aftermath. In particular, the release of historically
unprecedented amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere from automobiles and industry
slowly has edged up the Earth’s temperature along with an unprecedented release of methane,
chlorofluorocarbons, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides. These gases absorb infrared radiation
and then radiate that back to Earth creating the greenhouse effect.
The general scientific consensus from a variety of disciplines is that the result of global
warming is significant temperature increases at mid-latitude, continental interior regions, as
well as temperate ones. The effects of this are more violent storms (the United States this year),
desertification (the Gobi Desert), the melting of glaciers (the Alps, Rockies and Himalayas, the
poles) , a shift in weather patterns due to changes in the jet stream as well as to the warming of
the Gulf Stream (due to a decrease in salinity from freshwater melt from the arctic and
Greenland) the release of methane into the atmosphere from northern polar regions as the
permafrost melts, and acidification of the oceans due to pollution and the destruction of coral
reefs.m Other consequences are a shift of flora and fauna to other latitudes to survive in the
ecological niche for which they were adapted. In addition, this is accompanied by the
extinction of species, and, if the process continues, the decimation of the human species due to
forces beyond human control.
There has been some nay saying about this, particularly from some vested interests, such
as the oil lobby, but also the general public who do not want things to change at an expense to
their lifestyle. Thus, in developed countries people are supportive of initiatives to decrease global
warming but generally not so much if it is going to have an effect on their personal lifestyle.
Thus they are not willing to take fewer holidays abroad even though jet engines are a major
source of pollutants to the upper atmosphere. In developing countries, such as India and China,
which are experiencing rapid industrialization, the view is that developed countries have
the material benefits of industrialization and now it is their turn. In addition, the
economic/political power attendant on such development is a strong disincentive in both
developed and developing countries to radically address the situation. As well, the challenge is
throughout the world that use less or no nitrogen-based fertilizer that depletes soil and increases
erosion.
A variety of green technologies have been developed and continue to be, along with
new ones not fully developed, whose object is to variously redress the deleterious effects of
global warming. For these technologies to be implemented takes a large measure of
government sponsored incentives and programs so that they can start to become competitive
with the tried and proven fossil fuel infrastructure and economy. That infrastructure includes
transportation such as trucks, trains, ships, and airplanes, as well as factories and habitation
which is largely oil dependent. The cost of investment in these is virtually incalculable and
offers the greatest form of resistance to change, to the implementation of new technologies.
Foremost of these technologies is wind power. It involves engineering windmills that can
handle breezes or typhoons with wind turning a shaft connected to a generator. This turbine
generated power is an expression of wind speed: the greater the speed the greater is the wind
generation. Highland regions of the world, offer much potential here, as do coastal areas.
The cost of wind production is decreasing and in some jurisdictions like Nova Scotia,
Canada, it can significantly decrease the local dependence on fossil fuel power because of a good
wind harvest potential. This technology is good for either standalone, remote locations, or grid
operations. It has become competitive with conventional energy sources, and so in China, one of
the world’s largest wind-turbine makers, more windmills are being introduced to decrease the
reliance on imported oil and the disadvantages of that to the economy, and to reduce pollution
problems in smog-filled cities.
The shortcomings of wind power at present is that turbines of necessity are shut down
when the wind is too strong since the excess capacity cannot be commercially stored for market
when later needed. The transmission lines from remote regions have to be huge which along
with maintenance costs makes this technology a less attractive option. A further problem is that
wind sources are intermittent and not always available, particularly for the daylight high
urban/industrial consumption. There also is significant public resistance to constructing
behemoth windmills and their attendant noise pollution close to urban areas, though some of this
has been sponsored and supported by the oil lobby.
Solar energy is yet another green option as the silicon necessary for the photovoltaic solar
panels has come down in price. Large parts of the planet have high annual sunlight averages
making them good candidates for the technology. Even Germany, which has much cloud cover,
began to seriously develop this technology in reaction to the Chernobyl nuclear accident and the
fear of similar accidents at home. The advantage of it over wind power is that it is available in
the day and the panels placed on buildings are more aesthetically pleasing. It is used to power
street lights and cell phones and a host of applications. It therefore is easy to set up and does not
involve the big infrastructure costs of wind.
Another solar development is called concentrating solar power (CPS). This involves
hundreds of highly polished mirrors focusing sunlight and concentrating it into heat that drives a
steam-driven turbine to produce electricity. Other applications involve trough solar systems
that focus sunlight using a parabolic curved collector that heats a fluid for stored energy capacity
when the sun has set. These applications are still more expensive than fossil fuel generated
power but could become more viable as the price of oil rises in the future due to the increased
market demands of developing countries like China, India, and Brazil. A further drawback is that
these plants are still expensive to build.
Another green alternative is hybrid vehicles that use biomass fuel derived from soybeans,
cow dung, sewage, sugarcane, and corn. Some crop residue like cane is less expensive than
North American subsidized corn-based ethanol which is still not price competitive. Using fast
growing genetically engineered trees whose sugar will break down more easily to make fuel
along with designing microbes to improve fuel efficiency hold promise for this alternative
energy. Their major shortcoming is that, depending on the manufacturer, they can emit other air
pollutants: their air pollution reduction may be good but greenhouse gas negligible. Also, some
hybrids are gas guzzlers.
Other technologies that offer great potential can be noted. These include cultivating large
cultivating large biomass, charring it, and then burying it in the soil. This can reduce dependence
on soil-leaching conventional fertilizers which pollute rivers and lakes. In a partial reversion to
the past, cargo ships, like the Beluga Sky Sails, launched in 2007, using computer controlled
sails can reduce fuel consumption as ships are major players in global warming.
Biodegradable material can be used to generate energy in fuel cells and employed in
wastewater purification in developing countries and elsewhere. There is a huge potential in
photosynthetic energy generation, that is, how plants produce energy; for example, how a
hydrogen bonded network catalyzes to produce oxygen. This is the key to cleaner, more
efficient fuel systems when the scientists presently working on it are better able to understand
the process involved.
Green power at the present time offers much promise to improve the quality of people’s
lives. The advances so far made have been impressive but as the previous review of emerging
technologies reveals, much needs to be done. Before it is too late, we can reorient ourselves and
recognize it is our collective human endeavor that is involved, for the benefit of all life on Earth.
