Green Technology and Sustainability : A Global Perspective

1.  Smart city is an urban area that uses different types of electronic Internet of things (IoT) sensors to collect data and then use insights gained from that data to manage assets, resources and services efficiently, in return using that data to better improve the operations across the city. This includes data collected from citizens, devices, buildings and assets that is processed and analyzed to monitor and manage traffic and transportation systems, power plants, utilities, water supply networks, waste management, crime detection, information systems, schools, libraries, hospitals, and other community services.

The smart city concept integrates information and communication technology (ICT), and various physical devices connected to the IoT network to optimize the efficiency of city operations and services and connect to citizens. Smart city technology allows city officials to interact directly with both community and city infrastructure and to monitor what is happening in the city and how the city is evolving. ICT is used to enhance quality, performance and interactivity of urban services, to reduce costs and resource consumption and to increase contact between citizens and government. Smart city applications are developed to manage urban flows and allow for real-time responses. A smart city may therefore be more prepared to respond to challenges than one with a simple "transactional" relationship with its citizens. Yet, the term itself remains unclear to its specifics and therefore, open to many interpretations.

These Technology trends allow us to create spaces in which humans and technology interact in a more connected, intelligent, and automated way. Think of trends such as artificial intelligence, big data, the Internet of Things (IoT), and autonomous vehicles. Combined, advances like these are changing the world and how we live in it.

2. Renewable energy is derived from natural processes that are replenished constantly. In its various forms, it derives directly from the sun, or from heat generated deep within the earth. Included in the definition is electricity and heat generated from solar, wind, ocean, hydropower, biomass, geothermal resources, and biofuels and hydrogen derived from renewable resources.

Renewable energy resources and significant opportunities for energy efficiency exist over wide geographical areas, in contrast to other energy sources, which are concentrated in a limited number of countries. Rapid deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency, and technological diversification of energy sources, would result in significant energy security and economic benefits. It would also reduce environmental pollution such as air pollution caused by burning of fossil fuels and improve public health, reduce premature mortalities due to pollution and save associated health costs that amount to several hundred billion dollars annually only in the United States. Renewable energy sources, that derive their energy from the sun, either directly or indirectly, such as hydro and wind, are expected to be capable of supplying humanity energy for almost another 1 billion years, at which point the predicted increase in heat from the Sun is expected to make the surface of the Earth too hot for liquid water to exist.

3. Environmental Sustainability

Constructed wetlands (CWs) could be an environmentally acceptable option in treating domestic sewage. This state-of-the-art technology to inspire a sustainable solution for onsite sanitation which covers the role of plants, media materials, microorganisms, and oxygen transfer in domestic wastewater purification through constructed wetlands (CWs)

Biofuels, the sustainable energy system may be regarded as a cost-effective, trustworthy, and environmental friendly system that efficiently make use of local resources. Declining petroleum reserves, worldwide demand for energy, and undesirable effects of greenhouse gas emissions have led to increased worldwide interests in biofuels. 

Vermicomposting is one of the eco-friendly methods for the post-consumer waste degradation. Vermicomposting is one of the most ecologically and economically sound technologies for handling the biodegradable organic fraction of solid wastes. Bacterial strains, Enzymes, cellulose degradation, Earth worms are involved in the metabolism of nitrogen and phosphate materials present in the compost.

Green synthesis of Nanoparticles (Phytotechnology) is presently becoming popular due to its eco-friendly and cost-effective approach with no use of any toxic chemicals.  can be synthesized by various ways, viz., laser ablation, gamma irradiation, electron irradiation, chemical reduction, photochemical methods, and microwave processing, which however produce hazardous chemicals as by-product.

Improving Compost Quality by Controlling Nitrogen Loss During Composting.

Biodegradable plastics do not produce a net increase in carbon dioxide gas when they break down (because the plants that were used to make them absorbed the same amount of carbon dioxide to begin with).

Green technologies are playing significant role in changing the course of nation’s economic growth towards sustainability and providing an alternative socio-economic model that will enable present and future generations to live in a clean and healthy environment in harmony with nature. Green technology, which is also known as clean technology, refers to the development and extension of processes, practices, and applications that improve or replace the existing technologies facilitating society to meet their own needs while substantially decreasing the impact of human on the planet, and reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities.