Technology has profoundly shaped society, the economy and the environment. Technology has caused many environmental and social problems, but it is also  key to addressing environmental degradation, climate change, food scarcity, waste management, and other pressing global challenges. 

Industrialization coupled with technological advancement has continued to affect the environment in a negative way. Industrial benefits resulting from technological adaptation in major activities has indirectly contributed towards higher living standards though bad part on technology manifest more. This is evidenced by increasing international discussions and consultations through conferences and meetings. A major theme in such meetings is on environmental violations resulting from technology. Complaints and issues associated with effects of technology are arising globally (Ausubel & Sladovich,1999).

Despite the negative impact of technology on environment, a recent rise in global concern for climate change has led to the development of new environmental technology aiming to help solve some of the biggest environmental concerns that we face as a society through a shift towards a more sustainable, low-carbon economy. Environmental technology is also known as ‘green’ or ‘clean’ technology and refers to the development of new technologies which aim to conserve, monitor or reduce the negative impact of technology on the environment and the consumption of resources.

Few technologies used in to protect environment are:

-Electric vehicles- The environmental technology of the electric vehicle is propelled by one or more electric motors, using energy stored in rechargeable batteries. 

-Smart home technology uses devices such as linking sensors and other appliances connected to the Internet of Things (IoT) that can be remotely monitored and programmed in order to be as energy efficient as possible and to respond to the needs of the users.

-Direct Air Capture’ (DAC) is the process of capturing carbon dioxide directly from the ambient air and generating a concentrated stream of CO2 for sequestration or utilisation. The air is then pushed through a filter by many large fans, where CO2 is removed. It is thought that this technology can be used to manage emissions from distributed sources, such as exhaust fumes from cars. Full-scale DAC operations are able to absorb the equivalent amount of carbon to the annual emissions of 250,000 average cars.

The innovative clean technologies are supposed to have various advantages over the conventional capital-intensive methods of pollution control.  These gains include the following: more efficient processes of manufacture, more cost effective, more efficient waste management and effluent treatment, utilization of residues and recyclable materials, reduced requirement of raw materials and water, leading to conservation of resources, less power consumption leading to energy conservation and higher quantity and upgraded quality of production

References

Ausubel, J. & Sladovich, A. (1999).Technological advancement. Washington D.C, US: National Academic publishers.

https://edinburghsensors.com/news-and-events/impact-of-technology-on-the-environment-and-environmental-technology/

https://www.devalt.org/newsletter/apr03/of_1.htm