The purpose of technology is to apply what you know. Technology is not about advancing simply for the sake of advancement. Technology is what happens when people learn something and apply what they have learned, so it should not really be a question as to whether technology can help people improve the environment but how technology can help people improve the planet. Technology is what happens when knowing leads to doing; therefore, technology must play a role in helping improve the environment and there are many ways to see that it already has. 

Money

The internet provides a lot to society because of the opportunities that it provides. One of those opportunities is in the area of fundraising. Fundraising is no longer limited to the people you know or the areas where you live. Fundraising can happen across states and nations. For example, Venmo fundraising makes it easy to raise money for causes and organizations. People and organizations can use such technology to raise money for the purpose of directly working to improve the environment. This is an indirect way of helping but a way of helping nonetheless. 

Tech Jobs

Along these same digital lines, technology and the innovations that have come from them, such as 5g monetization, allow people to create digital companies that utilize technology to provide a service or product rather than raw materials from the environment. Tech-based industries use the internet to create rather than the natural world which protects the environment. Additionally, technology is the reason that fewer people drive to and from work or take buses and trains to work because they now work remotely. That would not be possible for many people in many industries without the innovative technology that allows people to be connected without being in the same room or even the same building. 

Innovation

Technology can help improve the environment because it is technology and innovation that created electric vehicles. Hydropower, solar panels and wind power are the results of technology and were each used to reduce reliance on substances that are harmful to the environment. Recycling, one of the longest-running methods of trying to reduce waste and abuse of the environment, is due to technological advancements. And recycling is continuously innovating and finding new ways to recycle more materials so that fewer natural resources are used to create things that can be made from recycled materials. This directly has a positive impact on the environment. 

Improvement 

It is because of technology that engineers and scientists create materials that are sustainable and environmentally friendly. And it is because of innovative technology that builders are trying to find and use materials and supplies that reduce energy consumption by keeping buildings cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. It is because of technology that society is no longer as heavily reliant on paper communication and instead using email and digital devices which helps reduce deforestation.

Because the environment is the natural world and technology is manufactured, they are quickly treated as if they are at odds, or worse, are mortal enemies. Technology is about science, and the heart of science is about asking questions, gaining knowledge and understanding and then doing something with that knowledge and understanding. The application of both knowledge and understanding is a good thing. Nature and technology are not enemies and should not be treated as such. In order to make strides to improve the environment from the misapplication of science, technology will need to have its place. Any fear associated with technology and the environment is misdirected. Technology is a gift to the cause of improving the environment and should be used in every way it can be.