Most of us have been caught in a downpour on a city street or in our own neighborhood. With the water rushing at our feet, we can’t help but notice the cast iron grates that drain excess stormwater from the area. Looking closer, we might notice that the sewer grate is engraved with the image of a fish (often a trout), along with some wording, such as Dump No Waste, Flows to River, Dump No Pollutants, or Flows to Waterways.
Over time, the fish on the sewer grate might become familiar to us, like an old friend we happen to run into now and then. When we do see our friend, we might pause to consider what it represents and perhaps even worry about it a bit more. After all, it symbolizes all living creatures who are at the mercy of humanity’s ecological policies and practices.
In 1971, a cellular biologist and ecologist named Barry Commoner wrote a book titled, The Closing Circle. Commoner suggested that the U.S. should restructure its economy to be more in line with the laws of ecology. He posited that the demands of a global economy were negatively impacting the world environment. Ecosystems must work harmoniously, and when outside elements are introduced that are not symbiotic with the ecosystem, the result is ecological disaster. As ominous as that view sounds, it might have seemed more like science fiction than reality back in 1971. Those scary, negative pollution scenarios for our planet seemed unlikely, or at least far into the future.
Fifty-two years have passed since Commoner wrote his book, and his viewpoints are still relevant. In those five decades, much has changed, and, in many respects, our environmental challenges are demonstrably worse. Our friend the fish on the sewer grate no doubt agrees.
Consider these four basic areas where the environment is at risk:
The Air.
Especially in regions without stringent pollution laws, air can literally be unhealthy to breathe. In the early 1900s, the word smog was coined (formed from smoke and fog). Combustion engines, factories, coal mines, toxic waste, and even some natural phenomenon such as forest fire smoke and volcanic ash, all throw particulates into the air. From issues like acid rain to the depletion of the ozone layer, our planet’s air is compromised to the point where, sadly, weather forecasts routinely issue an advisory based on the Air Quality Index (AQI) that alerts us when these particulates reach unhealthy levels so that we can decide whether it is safe to expose our lungs to the outdoors.
The Water.
Our oceans are vast, and it is easy for us humans to assume we have little or no effect on the quality of sea water and its many ecospheres. We do. The huge conglomeration of plastic and waste that was spotted in the Indian Ocean during the search for the infamous Flight MH370 shows just how much. These floating trash piles are common enough to now be known as “ocean garbage patches.” Our oceans, rivers, streams, and groundwater are all showing higher signs of toxicity as out-of-balance ecosystems continue to be affected by overfishing, shipping, heavy industry, and waste.
The Animal Kingdom.
The number of animal species that have gone extinct in the past 50 years is staggering. According to the Living Planet Report 2020 from the World Wildlife Federation, the world animal population has declined by 70% from 1970 to 2016. Seventy percent! As for our friend the trout, its habitat has shrunk by 75% – and six of its 28 related species of trout are now extinct, with three more species now considered threatened.
The Land and Plant Life.
The very ground itself, and its plant life, also suffers contamination. In fact, seed-bearing plant varieties are disappearing 500 times faster than the natural extinction rate, according to the Nature Ecology and Evolution Journal’s study in June 2019. The pattern of modern plant extinction parallels that of animals. Pesticides, fertilizers, waste, landfills and chemical pollution are taking a mighty toll. Even when we legislate against these things or voluntarily take steps to mitigate damage to the land, it takes precious time for the earth to recover.
All these environmental factors impact our health every day. American psychologist Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs places our physiological well-being at the base of the pyramid, fundamental to our survival. Mistreatment of the environment is an obvious detriment to our long-term survival as a life form. It’s interesting to note that many science fiction movies such as Silent Running (1972), Red Planet (2000) and more recently, Tides (2021) feature storylines based on humans colonizing Mars or other life-supporting planets on the assumption that the earth is no longer habitable. Fictitious or not, these kinds of scenarios should give us pause.
Turning the Environmental Tide
Big business is often singled out when we discuss responsibility for our global sustainability challenges. These companies represent various industries that provide many of the processes and products that make our modern connected life possible.
The truth is manufacturers today are at the forefront of the war against pollution and related environmental factors. They must not only get up to speed on modern technology but also deal with legacy environmental problems that began decades ago. These “big businesses” consist of real people who are mindful of these matters. They are working hard to enable sustainable solutions that support our way of life without negatively impacting planet Earth.
As more manufacturers adopt corporate sustainability initiatives, they push themselves to reduce their impact on the environment to “net zero” in support of the kind of circular economy that Barry Commoner advocated in 1971. It’s not just for better public relations, or to comply with regulations. These initiatives are actively and passionately pursued. Continuous process plants, mines, and manufacturing facilities are making changes on a proactive basis at their own expense to improve the world for their customers, employees, stockholders, and the global community.
These companies choose to face the challenge and partner with forward-thinking automation solutions partners to set a course for clean, sustainable production. Applying the collective intelligence, technology access, insight and passion of the automation and manufacturing communities can change – and is changing – the environmental status quo.
Smart manufacturing solutions are available right now to help tackle sustainability while maintaining a focus on optimizing productivity and profitability.
IT/OT Shares Big Data
The term “big data” was coined in the mid-1990s, referring to data sets that were too large for data processing systems to handle effectively. In manufacturing, “big data” highlighted the vast amount of untapped process data collected and available within the control system. The challenge was how to gather all that data and organize it in a way that supported operational and business goals.
Manufacturing productivity and corporate sustainability goals have different types of key performance indicators (KPIs) so combining these two strategies seems problematic. Modernizing operations to optimize production while making measurable gains in sustainability comes down to using process data to enable both productivity and sustainability strategies.
With smart technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and today’s powerful distributed control systems (DCS), operational data can be accessed, contextualized and visualized. Manufacturing operations are empowered to use the data to make real-time, data-driven decisions that support business goals.
The convergence of information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) facilitates the seamless integration of productivity and sustainability objectives, using reliable, consistent data sets to drive gains in both areas. Actionable insights derived from the data make it possible to adjust processes dynamically in real time based on current conditions and anticipated future states. This results in continuously optimized production with reductions in waste and lower resource consumption.
IT/OT convergence also helps support and achieve business goals outside of manufacturing operations as data is shared across the entire enterprise. It is about more than just merging the IT and OT departments in the company. The value in accessing and using this data is to use it in revolutionary, innovative ways to achieve green manufacturing and sustainability. The data as it becomes available and utilized throughout the enterprise will uncover ongoing opportunities to optimize, economize, and improve sustainability.
A Brighter, Better, Healthier Future
We must reimagine manufacturing now to support the environment. Manufacturers and automation solutions providers are leading the way to a new, better future as they harness the powerful connectivity, data-processing capabilities, and modern technologies to truly get green.
Data-enabled decisions can support meaningful gains in industrial manufacturing’s resolve to reduce its environmental impact as they strive for positive outcomes in areas such as:
- Improved Water, Air, Gas, Energy and Steam (WAGES) usage
- Cleaner or net-zero emissions
- Improved resource management
- Decarbonization and carbon capture
- Achievement of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Goals
- Improved regulatory compliance
- Smart use of fossil fuels and a viable alternative fuels strategy
- Waste management, recyclables, and innovative packaging
As we apply smart technology and innovation to manufacturing, it’s exciting to consider the positive impact that will be made on the environment in the next 10 years and beyond.
It’s certain that scientific discoveries, technology breakthroughs, and new approaches to our common challenges can and will create a brighter, better and healthier future. Not only for us. For our friend the fish on the sewer grate, too.
Smart Manufacturing Drives Sustainability: Focus on Energy and the Environment.
