Response to impacts: sustainable technology
Sustainable technologies have been around for a long time. In the Guatemalan city of Tikal, ancient Mayans used a series of paved reservoirs to meet their water needs. The earliest known windmills date from 3000 years ago and Roman aqueducts were a marvel of ancient plumbing. The ancient Greeks used passive solar design in many of their buildings, and the ancient Persians built wind towers for ventilation and cooling.
Read more about the Mayan reservoir system here.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100826083803.htm
Read more about ancient green design here.
http://webecoist.momtastic.com/2009/01/25/ancient-green-architecture-alternative-energy-design/
Today, in a response to the effects of pollution, overconsumption, and global warming, sustainable technology initiatives have been undertaken by international organizations such as the United Nations, which declared 2012 the International Year of Sustainable Technology for All, and by federal agencies such as the General Services Administration, whose sustainability plan pledges to "eliminate its impact on the natural environment and use its government-wide influence to reduce the environmental impact of the federal government" (GSA, n.d, par. 1), and the Environmental Protection Agency, which is championing green chemistry and engineering and using green infrastructure to manage stormwater runoff. Large corporations such as Intel and AT&T are also striving to make their operations more sustainable.
Some technologies that qualify as sustainable include hydroelectricity, solar energy, wind energy, wave power and tidal power, geothermal energy, and artificial photosynthesis.
Read more about sustainable technologies here.
