Great Green Idea: Green Technology: Why Green Technology Isn't Always Green

Why Green Technology Isn't Always Green

Most people would readily agree that alternative energy sources go a long way toward improving the environment. Many others question whether the green technology used to is as helpful as it really seems. There are critics that are just adverse to change of any kind, but then there are those that have valid questions.

Q: What are some of the characteristics that make a technology truly green?

A: For one thing, effective green technology does not make environmental conditions worse because of its use. It should be helpful in reducing the dependency upon oil for alternative fuel sources. The technology should also make good economic sense.

Q: Since the sun is a natural source of energy why is its benefit to the ecology questionable?

A: There is no question that in several regions solar panels have been helpful in reducing the need for oil. The use of the panels has also been proven to be better for the environment. But along with these benefits, the economic consequences do not seem to justify their use. The time frame for the return of the cost for solar panels is fifteen years. As well as being a lengthy time period, this is almost the number of years that the panels last.

Q: What other technology may not be as green as we think?

A: E85, a fuel which is a combination of denatured fuel ethanol and gasoline, has been spoken of as an almost perfect eco-friendly solution to the dependence on oil. It was also agreed that the emissions from E85 fuel were much less harmful to the environment. Yet this green technology does not seem to have caught on as quickly as was originally thought. Some say that this is due to the difficulty in distributing the fuel and a limited availability of vehicles in which the fuel can be used.

Q: Aside from technology, is it true that saving the planet is bringing people together for a common good?

A: Millions of eco-friendly people do rally together for the purpose of improving the ecology. Yet critics of this movement site several reasons why it could be divisive instead. They reason that they have always taught their children to clean up after themselves, turn off lights when they leave a room and recycle even before it became popular to go green. However, they say that their more involved neighbors look down at their efforts because they haven't taken an official "green" stance. They feel that simply being good stewards of natural resources is enough and that many environmentalists go too far in their efforts.

Q: Have people given up on green technology as a helpful solution?

A: On the whole, it does not appear that it has been totally rejected. Even though there are still many questions, it seems as if the consensus is that technology will continue to be helpful. Next generation technology brings the promise of biofuels that will answer some of the concerns about today's products. Businesses and individuals are finding commonalities that can be combined to effect real change without divisiveness. Large corporations are spending huge research dollars to launch cleaner, greener and less expensive products.