Exploring Greentech: An upgrade to a healthy future

World Environmental Health Day is celebrated on 26th September annually. Established in 2011 by The International Federation of Environmental Health (IFEH), it is aimed at creating awareness about the environment and human health.

According to Henroy P. Scarlett, the President of (IFEH), the current challenges include "climate change and the climate-sensitive health risks."

"There needs to be greater urgency in embracing and introducing appropriate technology to enhance the work and productivity of Environmental health professionals (EHPs)" Scarlett added.

Here are 5 ways in which greentech solutions, with their promise to protect the environment, have entered the mainstream,

Greentech or green technology refers to a type of technology that is considered environmentally friendly based on its production process or its supply chain. Greentech, which has been gaining popularity in recent years, is also attributed to clean energy production, the use of alternative fuels, and technologies that are less harmful to the environment than fossil fuels.

Renewable or alternate energy sources

Using solar and wind-powered energy is environment friendly as they do not release any harmful gases as by-products.

Tech giant Google, SolarCity which is a part of Tesla Energy, and NRG Energy are some companies that have embraced renewable energy.

Energy-efficient appliances

These are appliances that use less energy and perform on par with other similar models of the same size or capacity. Once they are ENERGY STAR certified, they not only save energy, and money but also help in protecting the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Companies such as Google and Sprint are also known for using such appliances with Sprint’s retail store in San Francisco having achieved LEED certification with energy-efficient lighting, equipment and HVAC systems.

Electric Vehicles

Using electric vehicles reduces pollution. Even if the emissions associated with the electricity generation are taken into consideration, the overall greenhouse emission is significantly reduced over the lifespan of the vehicle. Companies like Tesla Inc., Toyota, Volkswagen etc. are prominent players in this field. Without the tailpipe emission, pure electric cars help in the reduction of pollution as they do not have any emissions.

Green building materials

They are the sustainable or eco-friendly building materials that are used in construction and architecture. They are much more efficient as compared with traditional building materials. Some of these include recycled materials such as glass, metal and wood; low-VOC (volatile organic compound) paints, solar panels, sustainable wood and green concrete.

Carbon capture

This is a technology that is designed to capture the carbon emissions from various industrial processes and store them underground by injecting them into rock formations. The major reason behind this is to prevent greenhouse emissions from entering the atmosphere and contributing to global warming and climate change. BP and ExxonMobil are among the companies that have invested in carbon capture projects.