"Greenery Solution" Employs Nature's Technology To Fight Industrial Pollution And Global Warming
A Southern California product development firm has developed a method for combating industrial pollution and global warming that takes advantage of a "product" previously designed by Mother Nature herself – the tree. The CO2 Scraper is a large-scale construction for holding between two to four hundred large-size trees that will absorb potentially dangerous pollutants and convert global warming-related CO2 (carbon dioxide) into breathable oxygen.
Designed to be placed near factories or other major sources of pollution, the CO2 Scraper is a relatively simple concrete construction in which trees will be supplied with water and nutrients via a windmill-powered pump system. Primarily energy self-sustaining via windmills (the only outside power required would be electricity for an elevator to be used by maintenance personnel), the Scraper will be "carbon positive," that is, it will absorb carbon dioxide and increase the amount of life-giving oxygen in the atmosphere.
Aside from absorbing nutrients and converting carbon dioxide into breathable air, the structure will also provide a significant amount of shade, while also cooling the air during the hot summer months via the temperature-lowering properties of hundreds of trees. The structure will be relatively inexpensive to build – roughly equivalent in cost to building industrial smokestacks -- while still helping local economies by creating a number of green jobs during both the initial construction and later maintenance phases.
The CO2 Scraper is part of a movement of outside-the-box green concepts such as Madrid's Air Tree Pavilion and Dickson Despommier's Vertical Farm project. This very new project has drawn praise from scientist, consultant and sustainability specialist Joep Meijer. "The CO2 Scraper will be a great investment in natural capital for existing industries," said Mr. Meijer. "It will show a strong commitment and awareness to the environment as an integral part of doing business, as it will bring improvements to the actual site, neighboring communities, and local ecologies."
"This is a product whose time has come," said Nectar Senior Designer Yutaka Kazamaki, who has been spearheading the CO2 Scraper project. "With concerns about global warming, environmental pollution, public health and, of course, the economy, top of mind issues for the new administration in Washington and millions of concerned citizens all over the planet, the need for imaginative, off-the-grid solutions to these very complicated problems is clear. While the CO2 Scraper is still in its very early stages, we have every reason to be optimistic that this new idea will be deployed before long."
About Nectar Design
Nectar is an award-winning product development consultancy established in 1992. With a firm commitment to thoughtful innovation, the Nectar team helps clients create products that connect to their users and expand their markets. For more information, visit: www.nectardesign.com.
SOURCE: Nectar Design