Environmental technology aims to reduce human impact on the environment through technological advancements, such as cleaner energy sources, improved energy efficiency, and waste reduction. It draws on various sciences and has commercial and regulatory applications. The development of clean energy sources is a key goal, as fossil fuels emit pollutants harmful to human health and the environment. Economic factors drive advances, such as reducing fuel consumption in vehicles and making buildings more energy-efficient. Environmental science also deals with waste management, toxicology, and wildlife protection.
Environmental technology refers to the field of science concerned with reducing human impact on the environment through technological advances or improvements. Some common applications of environmental technology involve reducing energy consumption, limiting human-caused damage to the physical environment, and reducing waste. Research areas in the field may include cleaner energy sources, improved energy efficiency in transportation and buildings, and methods that reduce or prevent pollution. This is a broad field that draws on many sciences, some of which include chemistry, ecology, and biology. Innovation and advances in environmental science can have commercial applications, save money, or be designed to meet government regulations.
One of the goals of environmental technology is to find, use and develop clean energy sources that have limited impact on the natural environment. The use of fossil fuels in electricity generation transportation is not only responsible for the release of particulate matter known as smog, but also for the emission of carbon dioxide. According to the US government and others, carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas and pollutant with the potential to harm human health through climate change. So-called alternative energy sources could reduce pollution, including air pollutants such as carbon dioxide.
Other applications of environmental science may concern other aspects of electricity generation. This may include improving the efficiency, capacity or availability of new energy sources, such as wind turbines or solar panels. It may also involve the development of relatively new energy sources such as wave energy or hydrogen fuel cells.
Basic economic factors are often a stimulus for advances in environmental technology. This is partly because cheap solutions are generally the most efficient. Rising costs of fuels such as petrol, for example, have led to technologies aimed at reducing fuel consumption. Advances in automotive fuel efficiency reduce fuel costs by reducing harmful emissions. Many countries have vehicle efficiency regulations that were originally developed to save energy and keep fuel prices low, but they also help fight pollution problems like smog.
Various ways to make buildings more energy efficient have also been the focus of science. This could include reducing energy costs related to lighting, heating and cooling, and water use. So-called sustainable or green design refers to the planned use of environmental technology in the construction of new buildings that have minimal environmental impact. Environmental science also deals with diverse topics related to human and environmental health, such as waste management, toxicology, and wildlife protection.
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