As the post-industrial revolution world kept its focus on transforming the material landscape through mass production and cheaper inputs, the environment-conscience became the first casualty as it fell by the wayside. In this Industry 4.0 phase, the focus has shifted to conservation of natural environment and resources, partly triggered by the frequent manifestation of the climate change catastrophes. This has made industry, society and economy shift its gears to either improving the existing technologies to make them environment-friendly (innovate) , or to find newer more suitable ones (invent), or to simply re-introduce the older less harmful ones (discover). Hence, the sustainability mantra has  spurred the adoption of eco friendly technologies.

We all are aware of electric cars, led bulbs, water purification, waste management, solar park etc as the green technologies widely in use. But there are many more small inventions which have brought down the carbon footprint of individuals. Some such interesting eco-technology projects are worth sharing here.

1)Solar bottle bulb project- Philippines-  An innovative solution that has lit up many low income communities in Manila, Philippines. It is difficult to think that a process as simple as salvaging the old plastic bottles, filling them up with water and bleach, and then hanging them onto a hole in roof could channelize a single, straight, narrow sunlight beam to refract so much light (55 to 60 watts) that it can conveniently illuminate a room. The bleach works to keep the water algae free and such a bulb lasts for almost 10 months, after which it can be conveniently replaced.

2)Water from air technology-Israel- This state-of-art technology from the land, which is the pioneer in drip irrigation, converts atmospheric air into water. The system uses the power of sunlight to extract water from the surrounding air. The device works by solar powered fans pulling in pure water vapour from the atmosphere. The warm air inside the panel converts water vapour into liquid water. The system is self-sufficient and keeps the water circulating and clean. It is a boon for regions where fresh water sources are scarce.

3)Green wall technology- Popularized by French botanist Patrick Blanc, it has made a comeback as an energy saving choice. Increasing use of vertical structures purposely covered with sturdy green plants by leading architectural firms is a sign of how sustainability is being prioritized. The presence of plants naturally cools an environment, as the process of transpiration involves exchange of gases and release of vapour. A living wall of plants, a green wall, brings down the temperature of inside building by shading it and reducing the amount of solar radiation entering through the wall. This results in energy savings. The same concept can be replicated on terraces. The green roofs insulate the buildings , thereby bringing down the energy needed to cool or warm it. This system also works to purify the air by trapping particulate matter and gases.

4)The refrigerator without electricity-Mitticool-India

It is a refrigerator made out of natural baked clay and uses the ability of water to keep things cool and fresh. It has two chambers .The water is filled in the upper chamber and it has a lid at the top for refilling. From here the water drips down and fills the three sides and keeps the system cool. It also has a tap at the lower side to dispense drinking water. In the lower chamber, there are two shelves to store food and dairy items. It does not require electricity and is pocket-friendly. It requires no maintenance other than cleaning and leads to substantial saving on power bill.

5)Insect Protein as a solution to growing global demand for food- France. The increasing global population is causing even greater stress on agriculture, forestry and dairy to cater to its needs. This translates into greater allocation of resources and energy inputs into raising crops and livestock. Insect protein is an eco-friendly protein option as it needs lesser land and water inputs than crops and releases less greenhouse gases. Yellow mealworms and other such insects are used as inputs to produce proteins suitable for human nutrition, pet food, aquaculture and fertilizers.

Such urban technologies and many more are trying to reduce the human footprint for a better world.