Presented below is part five of an 11-part series examining the use of radio frequency identification for unexpected applications. In this chapter, we consider RFID’s use in the environmental sector.
37. Saving Endangered Species
Perhaps the first green RFID application was tagging and tracking endangered species to determine how environmental changes are affecting their habitats. The National Marine Fisheries Services and the Bonneville Power Administration, for example, tracked tagged salmon to stem the dwindling population of salmon in Washington State’s Columbia Basin. The World Wildlife Fund used RFID to monitor the white-lipped peccary, a type of wild pig, as part of a biodiversity study in the Amazon. And researchers in Alaska track polar bears to learn whether global warming impacts their movements and behaviors. (See RFID Antenna to Catch Fish, WWF Using Simple RFID System in Complex Project and RFID Earrings for Polar Bears.)
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38. Detecting Forest Fires
It takes one hour on average for most forest fires to be reported, and by then, they are likely raging out of control. RFID temperature sensors can detect a fire within minutes, and then alert firefighters. A fast response makes it easier to contain the blaze and minimizes damage. (See U.S. Forest Service Explores RFID’s Ability to Detect Fires and RFID in the Forest: Where There’s Smoke, Firefighters Want RFID.)
39. Growing Trees, Restoring Rainforests
In Hawaii, growers are trying to replenish stocks of the indigenous koa tree, by planting saplings and RFID-tracking their lineage and growth rates, to ensure healthier trees. Scientists in Australia deployed a wireless sensor network in Springbrook National Park to monitor environmental factors, such as temperature, humidity, soil moisture and wind speed; the information gleaned could help protect and restore rainforests. (See RFID Helps Foresters Grow Koa Trees and RFID Aids Restoration of Australian Rainforest.)
40. Reducing Pollution and Fuel Consumption
The busy seaports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, Calif., used to be crammed with trucks queued up to collect and discharge cargo. Now, a real-time location system (RTLS) identifies trucks and speeds them through the check-in process, so they no longer idle, wasting fuel and polluting the air. An RTLS is tracking trucks hauling hazardous waste for disposal at the East Tennessee Technology Park, improving efficiencies while reducing fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. (See SoCal Seaports Leverage RFID to Reduce Pollution and Radioactive Waste Cleanup Project Becomes More Efficient, Greener.)
41. Managing Energy
California is equipping 12 of the state’s data centers with an RFID-based temperature-control system, to reduce energy consumption. At the City of London School for Girls, a wireless energy-management system allows each room’s temperature to be controlled independently, reducing the tendency to overheat certain rooms. The 4,000-room luxury Aria Resort & Casino, in Las Vegas, installed an automation and energy-management system to help the hotel contain energy costs by controlling the lights, televisions and temperatures in unoccupied rooms. (See California Data Centers Expect to Cut Energy Usage By 75 Percent, Wireless Sensor Network Helps School Cut Its Energy Use and A Guide to Wireless Energy-Management Systems.)
42. Encouraging Recycling
Local governments worldwide are RFID-tagging collection bins—and equipping recycling trucks with RFID readers—to track whether residents are recycling bottles, cans and paper. Some communities offer residents rewards and discounts for recycling their trash. (See Communities Turn to RFID to Boost Recycling, Michigan Households Get RFID-Enabled Rewards for Recycling, RFID Helps Reward Consumers for Recycling and Australian Waste-Collection Businesses Tag Trash Bins.)
43. Monitoring Global Warming
University of Southampton researchers have deployed wireless sensor systems in the mountainous reaches of Iceland to gather information about glacier movement and forecast mudslides, from their U.K office. (See Sensors Probe for Data in Ice and Mud.)
44. Eliminating Packaging Waste
Mission Foods, one of the world’s largest producers of corn flour and tortilla products, was shipping its food products in corrugated boxes, which ended up as waste. RFID made it economically feasible for the Texas tortilla manufacturer to switch to reusable plastic containers. The system tracks when the reusable containers are shipped out and returned to company facilities. The company estimates that over a five-year period, it will save approximately $15 million, decrease energy consumption by 91 percent, cut solid waste by 98 percent and reduce greenhouse gases by 90 percent. (See The Greening of Mission Foods.)
45. Promoting Sustainable Forestry
Up to 40 percent of wood products entering European and U.S. markets may consist of illegally harvested products, including mahogany, ramin and teak. Global efforts are under way to use RFID to provide track-and-trace visibility that can help reduce illegal logging and ease compliance with European and U.S. laws requiring validation that imported wood products are from sustainable timber sources. In addition, RFID can be used to identify and track trees from forest to sawmill and onto its manufacture into wood products, which can reduce waste of a vital natural resource. (See RFID in the Forest, Malaysian Forestry Department Studies RFID and University in Munich Develops RFID-Enabled Log Harvesting.)
46. Optimizing Crop Irrigation
Knowing the condition of the soil in real time can help improve crop yields—and save water—by enabling farmers to irrigate only the parts of their fields that need it. Researchers at the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences developed a wireless temperature and moisture sensor. University of Nebraska-Lincoln researchers are creating wireless sensor networks that operate underground, providing precise information on soil conditions. (See RFID Could Help Crop Yields and RF Sensors Could Optimize Crop Irrigation.)
Click here to read about RFID’s use in other unexpected applications.
Illustration: iStockphoto