Electronics – Benefitting the Environment

Scientists created the Eden Project, a hot and humid tropical environment, by building an enormous greenhouse made of a special plastic foil. The material is transparent, allowing for sunlight to reach the plants. With advancements in science and engineering, not only can we predict and limit the impact of environmental disasters, but we can imitate nature itself. Scientists and engineers have developed systems to monitor potential flood areas to help mitigate natural disasters. Areas along rivers that have a propensity to flood are equipped with systems that include key elements: inputs, processing, outputs, and feedback. Inputs are the means by which the system gathers information. Eight hundred and fifty outstations along the river are equipped with sensors that record the height of the river and rain gauges to keep track of rising waters. If it rises too fast, there is a warning system to people nearby; otherwise it can usually be controlled by a series of dams or sluice gates. Local weather forecasts are part of the processing. These factors combined create a system that has eliminated dangerous floods by controlling the river at different points through electronics.