Four Consumer Technologies That Are Paving the Way to a Greener Future

Technology is a wonderful thing. There are scientists working hard in labs and offices all across the world with a single goal: to make and invent something new. However, these technologies rarely reach the consumer market. If they do, they’re packaged in a way that helps us live our lives more comfortable and they’re usually dumbed down as a result of making it user-friendly. Thankfully, these technologies are still incredibly useful to our lives and they go a long way to make our way of living easier.

One of the biggest concerns in recent years is global warming. Living green has become a popular lifestyle due to its links with increasing the longevity of our planet. With air pollution becoming a problem in various countries and the inevitability of non-renewable sources of energy running low, living a green lifestyle is becoming more and more popular as the years go by.

If you’ve yet to switch over to a cleaner and more environmentally friendly lifestyle, then here are a couple of suggestions to get you started. We’ve listed four different consumer technologies that are paving the way to a greener future, and how they can easily be incorporated into your lifestyle.

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Cars with Electric Engines

Electric cars have become increasingly popular over the years, but there are very few fully electric cars on the market. Most electric cars are hybrids that utilise both electricity and petrol. This is the perfect choice of vehicle for someone who is conscious about their contribution to air pollution but still wants a vehicle that can perform well. The advantage with these hybrid cars is that you can use petrol for the increased speed and performance when you’re driving a long distance, but you can always scale down and use the electricity mode for short distances. This way you won’t feel bad about driving your car a mile or two just to get to a store or meet some friends, but you also won’t feel like your car can’t make it very far on just the electric engine, thus preventing you from driving long distances.

Electric cars aren’t very expensive either and you don’t pay a premium for it. In fact, your emissions are so low that you actually save money on things such as road tax and insurance depending on where you come from. They offer the latest comforts such as improved security features and air conditioning, and they don’t feel much different to regular cars. They have the added benefit of being virtually silent as well, which is definitely a plus considering the noise pollution problem that many cities are experiencing.

Digital Replacements for Physical Items

Digitisation is the conversion of physical items or content into digital. For instance, when you scan a photograph, you convert it into a digital form that can be stored as data on a phone, hard drive, USB pen or any other kind of storage medium. This digitisation of content can save people a lot of money and prevent waste. For instance, instead of picking up a newspaper from a stand on your way to work, you can simply load up the newspaper’s dedicated application on your tablet device or smartphone and read it that way. You’re less likely to throw the paper later or leave it on the train, and it ultimately leads to less waste.

Whenever possible, try to get digital versions of something instead of the physical item. A good place to start would be to get your magazine and newspaper subscriptions on your smart devices instead of physically. You can also request your bank or utility providers to send you a digital statement or bill instead of a paper one. Thanks to digital mediums, we now produce less physical paper waste which is far more friendly to the environment and convenient for consumers. In addition to the reduced waste, it’s also cheaper to get something digitally, making it better value as well.

Source: Pixabay

Renewable Sources of Energy

If we’re going to talk about consumer technologies that are paving the way to a greener future, then we can’t forget solar energy. The basic principle is that solar energy allows you to harness the sun’s power and convert it into energy to power your home. However, the main criticism that solar energy has received in the past is the fact that it’s not the most efficient source of power. A lot of the sun’s energy is wasted and it wasn’t very easy to store the energy, meaning that there are very few practical applications in terms of residential properties.

However, thanks to recent innovations in solar batteries for home, we can now harness and store the power of the sun so we can use it whenever we need—even when the sun isn’t out! Utilising renewable energy sources is a fantastic way to contribute to the environment, and you’d be surprised at how easy it is to install this equipment with the help of a trained professional.

Smart Home Technology

Thanks to innovations in smart home technology and increased internet speeds at home, we can now utilise smart home technology to live a greener life. One of the main issues with traditional homes is that a lot of things have to be done manually. For instance, turning off the lights requires the flick of a switch, and while it seems trivial, the effort can add up and there are times when we’ll be forgetful. For instance, you might forget to turn off the heating or some lights when you leave for work, or perhaps you want to set a timer for when you return so your house is nice and warm for when you come back. Sadly, the time you come back might vary and you’ll probably be losing some energy, and it’s usually not worth driving back home just to turn off the lights.

To remedy this issue, smart home technology allows you to adjust the lights and heating settings from your smartphone device. This gives you a lot of control over the appliances in your home and ultimately allows you to live a greener and less wasteful lifestyle.