Technology and its Role in Environmental Protection

By: Robyn Davies

In recent decades, habitat destruction, resource exploitation, carbon emissions, deforestation, and disturbances to natural equilibriums have left a detrimental impact on the balance of global ecosystems. With 2,000 new species endangered annually, we must take action now.

First, we must protect habitats. Preservation starts with calling upon national governments to conserve habitats within their regions by restoring deforested areas, reintegrating endangered species into new habitats, and restricting human interference within protected areas. Such conservatories must take equal care to conserve animal life within these protected areas, bearing in mind the detrimental impact of species extinction on the balance of global ecosystems.

Our second action must be raising awareness, involving governmental bodies, international organizations, NGOs, and individuals alike. This entails not only developing a global climate curriculum in coordination with the UNEP to address topics such as region-specific environmental concerns and individual climate responsibility but also establishing government-mandatory labels defining the sustainability of manufactured goods in hopes of raising consumer awareness. Both programs’ accessibility in virtual and physical formats will be vital to their success. As time will certainly bring new challenges and innovations concerning environmental stability, an annual review by the UNEP will ensure its implementation remains equally relevant, accurate, and effective.

However, on our path to a more sustainable future, we must also consider the people currently dependent upon environmentally threatening work. With concern to farming populations, restorative ocean farming techniques particularly may prevent environmentally-taxing work while equally revitalizing marine ecosystems. Whether planting and harvesting aquatic plants, encouraging the farming of sustainable shellfish species, or financially supporting Regenerative Ocean Farming NGOs such as GreenWave’s polyculture ocean farming methods, restorative ocean farming solutions can nurture both an ecosystem for endangered coastal species to thrive and natural solutions to balance carbon emissions.

On the point of balancing carbon emissions, Carbon Engineering’s Direct Air Capture (DAC) solution must not be ignored. DAC plants directly sequester carbon from the atmosphere and condense it into recycled carbon pellets. Under independent organizations, this carbon can be used as a recycled energy source, approaching net-zero emissions. Under government funding, this extracted carbon could be removed from our atmosphere permanently.

Though the climate crisis remains a crisis unsolved, one thing is certain: scientists have the technology. It is now our responsibility, as students, activists, and future world leaders, to implement these technologies as the environmental solutions that revitalize our Earth.