GoalExplain how green technology and digital transformation share goals, and give joint examples.
New words
sustainability · meeting today’s needs in a way that leaves enough for future generationssmart power grid · an electricity network that uses data to send power where and when it is neededprecision farming · farming that uses data to give plants just the water and care they needsmart city · a city that uses digital technology to run transport, buildings and services better
Explanation
Remember Week 1 (green technology) and Week 2 (digital transformation). The two ideas are closely linked and help each other. They also share aims. First, both use resources better and waste less: green technology cuts the use of energy and water, and digital technology cuts the use of paper and the need for travel. Second, both aim to cut harmful gases: green technology by using renewable energy, and digital technology by reducing trips and making business smoother. Third, both support sustainability, so that people in the future can enjoy a good life too. Together they give examples such as smart power grids, precision farming, smart buildings, smart transport and smart cities. Joining them has four benefits: it speeds up digital transformation, it makes green technology work better, it creates new jobs, and it improves quality of life.
Worked examples
Shared aim
Green technology
Digital transformation
Use resources better
cuts energy and water use
cuts paper and trips
Fewer harmful gases
uses renewable energy
fewer journeys, smoother work
Support sustainability
protects nature
improves services for later generations
This table shows the shared aims and how each side reaches them.
soil sensor notices dryness→data goes to a program→drips water on dry rows
On a precision farm, sensors in the soil notice that the plants are dry. The data goes to a program, and the drip pipes give water only to the dry rows. Green technology (saving water) and digital technology (data) work as a team.
In a smart building, sensors notice who is inside and the temperature. A control system uses this data to switch lights off in empty rooms and to set the cooling. The building uses less electricity.
Class activity
Draw two big circles that overlap, like the picture above. Write the name of one technology over each circle. Put three green ideas on the left, three digital ideas on the right, and in the middle at least one idea that is both, such as a smart building. Explain your circles to a family member.
Practice
1
Name two aims that green technology and digital transformation share.
For example: use resources better, cut harmful gases, support sustainability.
2
Which example uses data to give plants just the water they need?
Precision farming.
3
What does sustainability mean?
Meeting today’s needs in a way that leaves enough for people in the future.
4
Give one benefit of joining green technology with digital transformation.
For example: new jobs, better quality of life, faster digital change, more effective green technology.
