The world is currently facing an increasingly potent enemy: copious amounts of carbon dioxide emissions.
Although relatively harmless and vital to life on earth, we’ve increased the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere exponentially since the Industrial Revolution. As a result, the global temperature is beginning to rise. This is a major problem.
To complement this, our reliance on fossil fuels has continued to rise as well. Cars, trains, buses – you name it. Many of our transportation methods reek of the stuff. That’s not including activities such as deforestation or the burning of coal or oil, which also take energy. In one way or another, we’ve all contributed to Earth’s now-failing ecosystem.
Thankfully, there’s a new initiative being taken that can hypothetically remove carbon emissions and regulate Earth’s ever-growing CO2 levels. This can be achieved through what scientists are calling “fake plastic trees.”
As we know, trees naturally filter the air and remove CO2 on their own, but nature can only do so much. However, this new technology, otherwise known as the “Boston Treepod,” uses plastic resin-like material to naturally filter the air. CO2 is caught and bound to the treepod as a result. The process behind this is called “humidity swing.” It releases oxygen into the air while removing and storing CO2. The stored gas can then be used to make building materials or liquid fuel.
The treepods themselves, designed after the intricacies of the human lung, are made entirely of recycled material and utilize this structure to further cleanse the air in a safe, economic, and eco-friendly manner. The treepod also contains internal lighting and solar panels to harvest energy.
The treepod would a staple in urban environments. In the future, it may also be placed in oceans, greenhouses and fossil-fuel burning plants in order to test its filtering capabilities. The treepod project is being overseen by staff at Arizona State University and urban design group SHIFTBoston.
Experts fear that if the average global temperature rises above two degrees Celsius, our efforts to reverse global warming may be for naught according to CNN. But this carbon-scrubbing machine may very well be the answer we seek. What seems to be no more than a pipe dream may actually become a feasible means of tackling global warming.
Unfortunately, we’re long past the threshold to “fix” global warming and it will not go away on its own. But if this new and wacky invention is any indication, we’re trying to do the best we can to live with our mistakes and help mother nature reverse our problem.
