Saving the environment from the destructive influence of people is the main task of the 21st century.
Happily, dozens of projects are implemented annually, and patents are granted for numerous inventions. Such innovations make it possible to combat harmful emissions into the atmosphere, eliminate excessive consumption of valuable natural resources and improve people's awareness of existing environmental problems.
Below are some of the most important inventions conceived by humanity in the last decade.
Combined night vision devices: Night vision and thermal imaging have been around for a long time. These technologies have been used for different purposes, including environmental protection. Using night vision monoculars, binoculars and other devices, specialists assessed the condition of plants, studied populations of nocturnal animals, identified poachers, studied the impact of humans on wildlife and much more. Comparatively, recently, people have become able to use combined-type night optics. It combines the capabilities of night vision and thermal imaging, thereby increasing the effectiveness of environmental protection measures. Such devices make it possible to expand the range of tasks performed and increase the chances of saving the planet from the negative impact of humans.
Environmental sensors: An important invention of the last decade is precise environmental sensors. Their use gives specialists access to valuable information about the state of the environment and changes occurring in it. There is a huge number of different sensors. All of them make it possible to monitor temperature changes, humidity indicators, the degree of air pollution, the amount of emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere and much more. The data obtained becomes the basis for making important decisions related to environmental protection.
Modern electric cars: Electric cars were invented almost two centuries ago. They were primitive and did little to help the environment. However, many years later, more modern cars with electric engines appeared. In the last decade, many revolutionary discoveries have been made in this area, which has turned electric cars into a symbol of the fight to save the ecology of the planet. Today, these vehicles fill the roads of most major cities and have contributed to environmental protection. With their help, it has been possible to significantly reduce harmful emissions.
Clean energy: The idea of using environmentally friendly energy appeared many years ago. However, only in the current decade has significant progress been made in this direction. It became possible thanks to several important inventions. Modern versions of solar panels are the main ones. They work more efficiently than their analogs from the past and allow the reduction of the loss of the extracted energy. No less important is the creation of modern wind power plants. They are located in places with the most favorable conditions, which allows them to obtain more environmentally friendly energy.
CCS: Harmful emissions can be reduced with the help of a development called Carbon Capture and Storage technology. It is a special way of capturing carbon dioxide, which prevents it from entering the planet's atmosphere. The extracted CO2 is sent through pipelines to special storage facilities. There, it is converted into environmentally friendly substances using a chemical reaction or used for various purposes (for example, for producing certain building materials and chemicals). With the help of CCS technology, it is possible to reduce harmful emissions into the atmosphere, even in places such as machine-building plants and metallurgical and chemical plants.
Biodegradable packaging: People throw away hundreds of tons of packaging from various products daily. They accumulate in landfills and emit gasses that are harmful to the environment. To eliminate this problem, biodegradable packaging has recently been invented. It is made from special natural materials that do not contain toxic substances. In addition, they are characterized by the ability to quickly decompose, which helps to avoid additional negative effects on the environment. By using biodegradable packaging, humanity is gradually reducing its consumption of plastic, which means protecting the environment from its effects. This has a positive effect, but to achieve global changes, people must completely abandon traditional packaging and replace it with biodegradable packaging.
Eternal notebook: One of the last decade's simplest but most useful inventions is the so-called eternal notebook. It is similar to an ordinary notebook, where you can make notes - but thanks to a special pen and material for making pages, the user can erase everything written. This innovative solution allows you to use the notebook for many years - saving many trees.
Modern 3D printing: At the end of the last century, the first 3D printers appeared, which were primitive but allowed the creation of three-dimensional products. Gradually, they improved and became more useful for humans. Modern versions of these devices, which appeared in the last decade, helped humanity slightly improve the situation with the ecology of the planet. Thanks to 3D printing, it was possible to eliminate the need to produce parts and mechanisms in industrial enterprises. This helped to reduce harmful emissions into the atmosphere and minimize waste, which also hurts the environment. Modern 3D printers are created taking into account various environmental standards. Thanks to this, they become safe for the environment without losing the efficiency of their work.
Waste recycling: Garbage is one of the main culprits of the deterioration of the ecological situation on the planet. Due to human activity, it accumulates in huge quantities, decomposes and releases toxic substances into the soil, water, and air. In the last decade, the process of recycling various waste has become more efficient and has made it possible to reduce the harmful impact of waste.
Alternative food products: Scientists have devised many alternative ways of obtaining meat and other products over the past 10 years to avoid excessive environmental harm. Most often, they are made based on plant components, which are available in most countries of the world. Artificially created food is almost no different in taste from natural food, but it helps protect the environment from destruction.
Every year, the chances of saving the planet from man's destructive influence increases.