No matter how “green” some industries, like auto, still promote technology that does more harm than good and little to protect the environment. The answer to how we can use technology to protect the environment is hard to find when looking in the wrong place. Of the myriad tech-laden ways to curb the degree to which we’re littering the environment with things like car exhaust, a solution might be closer and greener than you think. And it is the lowest technology possible. Instead of thinking about technological advances to protect the environment, such as hybrid green cars, we may want to think about using less technology. Those things at the end of your legs?
They may be one of the most efficient and economical ways to achieve a sustainable life. Along with the obvious, walking, your feet can push a couple of pedals and take you around town on a bike with greater ease and benefit than fighting traffic. The citizens of planet Earth are now forced to view our home as a two-way exchange: we give and take from Mother Nature, rather than treating our natural resources as an endless supply to fuel our progress. And technology, while it can help reduce the amount we get from nature, will never be as successful as getting rid of some of our most damaging human habits. So, as the planet celebrates another Earth Day, let’s look at some facts and information that shifts the focus from “how technology can help save the environment” to “how we can use what we have to get where we should be.”
Benefits of biking and the average cost of a car ahead The days of ignoring the many benefits of riding a bike are over. With the extremely high average annual cost of owning a car, it makes sense not only to ride a bike if you can, but to consider replacing your car with a bike all together. Just remember to make sure you protect your investment and prevent bike theft whenever you can while also protecting the environment.
America’s Best Cities to Live Without a Car We’ll give you a hint, one of the top cities for car-free life starts with a “new” and ends with a “york”. Living in a large metropolitan area like New York will make it much easier to maintain a mobile lifestyle without a car. Access to mass transportation is a key feature to make this possible. According to WalkScore, a group that promotes walkable neighborhoods, while 83% of Americans live in metropolitan areas, only 5% live within walking distance of decent public transportation. Committing to living without a car is definitely one way to use new technology in public transportation to stop littering the environment. Choices regarding commuter rail, public bus routes, the subway, and streetcars or trolleys can make or break a person’s decision to be car-free.
America’s Most Walkable Cities There are a surprising number of cities in the US that are considered quite walkable. We could all think of New York, Boston, and Washington at the top of our heads. But did you know that you can walk to much of Denver? WalkScore has a website entirely dedicated to finding and promoting “Walkable Places to Live.” They rank 2,508 neighborhoods in the 40 largest cities in the US to help you find a walkable place to live. On top of that, they have a list of 138 “Walker’s Paradises”. Twenty-two cities have at least one and are therefore included in our list of the most walkable cities in America. New York leads the pack with 38, including Tribeca, Little Italy, Soho, Chinatown, Midtown and Murray Hill.
Is your car killing you? Air pollution and health risks Between the effects of global warming, particulate matter, and a lack of health benefits from driving, yes, your car is killing you! Just one look at how cars impact our world could turn the most into the stubborn skeptic. An American car consumes about 600 gallons of gasoline a year and emits more than 12,000 pounds of carbon dioxide. What about this one? US car emissions account for more than 45 percent of the world’s automotive carbon dioxide emissions each year, despite the fact that the US has just 5% of the world’s population perfectly exhibiting a case where the technology in a country does NOT protect the environment. in the world. In short: save a life; sell your car! So, as industries around the world struggle with the notion of going green and countless new technologies are being consumed by the environment vs. Using the economic growth argument, our overdependence on automobiles is a continuing threat to the health of the planet and to ourselves. And perhaps as more and more people consider the question of “How does technology protect the environment?”, they will discover that perhaps their feet can offer the best guidance. Naturally, it could result in putting an end to littering the environment with our various pollutants.