Ecological Technology

Can we solve our current energy crisis in an ecologically friendly manner? Can we gain better understanding on ecological systems when viewed from a technological perspective? The answer is a big yes but only if our intellect is up to the challenge.

Ecology, the branch of science that deals with the interactions of living organisms and their environment, a term derived from two Greek words which mean "the study of the home" while technology is the totality of the means employed to provide objects necessary for human sustenance and comfort.

Since humans are the dominant "life form" on this planet, and are viewed as the cause célèbre for all of our ecological problems. Paradoxically, it is us that can only solve the problems that we create in the first place. One of the problems that we face today is our increasing demand for energy generation that is not necessarily environmentally friendly to begin with.

How we go about solving this must go hand in hand on how we will protect our environment just to keep our planet habitable in the future. All the energy that mankind utilizes, whether renewable or not, all come from nature. Only a handful of scientists like R. Buckminster Fuller view ecosystems as an interrelationship between matter and energy or more aptly living organisms and energy.

All ecosystems are governed by: "The Laws of Thermodynamics", this is the relationship between matter and energy in a system. The First Law of Thermodynamics states that "the sum total energy in a system is constant" i.e. energy can neither be created nor destroyed. The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that there is a tendency toward entropy or maximum disorganization of a structure and the loss of usable energy.

These laws prevent us from formulating an easy solution to our energy problem in an ecologically friendly manner. But first, let's check out how nature manages energy to sustain an ecosystem.

In autotrophic based ecosystems, the energy that is stored through net primary production by photosynthetic organisms is used to support higher trophic levels. Energy flows only one way through these levels with decreasing amount at each level. The energy that is captured by the autotrophs (photosynthetic plants) does not revert back to the sun. And also; what energy that flows to the herbivore does not flow back to the photosynthetic plants, and so on, as it moves through the various trophic levels, energy is no longer available to the previous level. The important implication of this unidirectional flow of energy in an ecosystem is that the system would collapse if the primary source of energy, like the sun is cut off.

The next major fact to be noted is the progressive decrease in energy at each trophic level. This fact can be explained by the energy lost as heat in metabolic activity and manifests here as respiration. This particular ecosystem also has a large amount of unutilized energy. Even if more of this "unutilized energy" is being used in a more efficient system, there would still be considerable loss due to respiration. Thus, even with more efficient energy utilization, considerable energy would still be required to maintain the system.

These factors-Unidirectional energy flow and inefficient energy utilization-account for the requirement of a steady stream of energy to avoid the collapse of an ecosystem. An ecosystem simply cannot itself when deprived of a source of energy input for an extended period of time.

Speaking Computer - Understanding The Language of Technology

It doesn't matter if you have a business that deals directly with technology or if you simply use today's technology in your business, it is important to make sure that you're up-to-date on all of the information that is available. Of course, it is unreasonable for you to think that you're going to know everything that there is to know about computers, and in most cases, it is not going to be necessary for you to do so. What you do need, however, is to have a well-rounded understanding of computers which would include being able to speak to somebody intelligently about the computers that you use. Why is this important?

One of the most important reasons for you to understand computer terms is because there is going to come a time when you need to discuss something specific with a technician. If you do not understand the terms, it is going to be difficult for you to get your point across.

The difficulty is, there are things that are almost constantly changing about those computer terms and it can be difficult for you to keep on top of it. Once you have a basic understanding of them, however, it is much easier for you to keep up with the changes than to try to catch up with the changes that may be taking place.

You also need to be able to decipher what computer information is necessary for your specific needs. For example, being able to understand the terms that are associated with the Internet may be of benefit for some individuals but for others, it may be more specific to their actual computer. Something that you need to understand is the fact that the line between off-line computer usage and online computer usage is becoming more and more blurred. This is especially the case if people are taking their businesses to the cloud and although you may be running on the local computer, the information that you are using is available on the server at another location.

If you do plan on taking some sort of course that is going to help to teach in these terms, it's important that it is going to follow the Computer Science Teachers Association criteria, as that is what is generally provided for both students and teachers through the grade school education.

Most students leave school with a well-rounded idea of various terms and how they can use them properly, so if you're up to speed with that information, you are also going to be able to discuss these items intelligently with other individuals as well.

So it doesn't matter if you are trying to understand how to compress files (zip), how to go to a specific website (URL) or even to describe how much space your computer has (gigabyte), it's important for you to understand what you are saying. You will find this not only helps you to operate your computer properly, it helps you in many other aspects of our computer enhanced lives.

 

Technology and Promotional Products

Profitability is the measure of the success of a business. A business can only be successful if there is brand recognition which is developed through advertisement. As we become a more technologically savvy world, print and radio ads are becoming less pervasive. As people become more and more busy, they ignore these forms of advertisement. It becomes harder for businesses to draw attention to their products or services. Combine the latest technology with carefully selected promotional products and your company will rise far above your competitors.

The newest entry into advertising is the corporate blog. This is not to be confused with businesses that set up blogs fraudulently posing as individuals and then proceed to promote their company. A corporate blog identifies itself as a company whose goal it to enhance communication internally and externally.

The internal segment is the corporate culture or the employees; it is important to keep the lines of communication open within a company. The external segment is the mass public. A corporate blog is a website that gives regular commentary of their products and/or services. For example, if a company has improved on a product in a specific way, the corporate blog can announce this. Likewise, if the company gained recognition due to its sales or its commitment to the environment, that too can be touted on the corporate blog. It also is an outstanding way to increase interest and forge new associations.

Another method to utilize when considering market exposure is the podcast ad. It is a process of record the audio using specific systems such as Mixcraft or GarageBand, labeling the audio, attaching album art, and saving the file on your computer desktop.

The podcast is then advertised. A podcast will increase your company's audience exponentially.

While trying the innovative approaches, it is important to utilize the effectiveness of promotional products. The free sample is still very much appreciated. Whether it is a pen with the company name and phone number, or a free umbrella with bright graphics and the company's name and website address, this part of marketing should not be overlooked. The company and the brand become more high profile which leads to brand recognition. Brand recognition in turn increases sales. It is effective.

Technology can be used to compliment a marketing strategy. The combination of proven methods integrated with technological methods is a winning strategy for increased sales.