There is too much negative talk in the world. I, for one, know that I frequently contribute to it by writing harsh and critical articles about new initiatives or solutions. Sarcasm and cynicism do not look good on anyone, although there is definitely something to be said for using it as a tool to make your writings more effective. Pollution solutions that take your breath away show solutions that really can make a difference.
Solutions Which Take Your Breath Away
Either way, there is plenty of beauty in the world and the human mind. We should not overlook that in a time where climate change seems to accelerate at a breakneck speed, with the first consequences already becoming apparent and even the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change at its wit’s end. Rumors have it that the latter are this close to mandating governments to find a way of literally extracting CO2 from the air.
If this happens, a scramble is sure to break out - with governments, companies, and start-ups alike running around like a headless chicken in an attempt to find the best way of doing so. Pollution solutions focusing on extracting greenhouse gasses from our air will become the new poster child of sustainability. The range of these solutions is impressive, going from advanced weather systems that will effectively have the person at the controls playing God right up to planting more trees.
Here’s all those inventions and inventors—time to celebrate some of ‘em—pollution solutions that take our breath away.
1. Cloud-Seeding
Who needs a rainmaker to do all kinds of precipitation-inducing dances when you have access to cloud-seeding? It involves the use of silver iodide, better known as dry ice. This substance is launched in the air using a rocket or plane, where it will get started on inducing cloud condensation - resulting in rainfall or snow. Sounds futuristic? Think again. The first cloud-seeding solutions are already operational, most notably in China - where it was used to remove pollution from the air during the 2008 Olympics. While shooting silver iodide up in the air sounds strange and unhealthy for all of us, the effect on our health is actually negligible.
2. Giant Sprinklers on Skyscrapers
This idea is in many ways similar to cloud-seeding but without the resulting rain or snowfall. In this particular execution, giant sprinkler-like installations are attached to skyscrapers. As these sprinklers release water particles, dust and pollution particles will settle down. It operates much like the dust suppression units that are already famous in the construction industry. But this particular instance literally sprays out water that makes pollution go away. Simple as that.
3. Artificial Fog Removal
How great does that sound? Not just when you are hindered in your travel plans by sudden fog, but also - even more importantly - for pollution-related fog. It is not surprising that this idea is currently under development in the world's foggy pollution capital, China. The word is still mum as to its exact workings.
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4. Electrostatic Vacuum Cleaners
Vacuum cleaners are great for, well, sucking unwanted things out of our lives. Be it the dust and sand in our hallway or the greenhouse gases out of our sky. The electrostatic vacuum cleaner developed by Daan Roosegaarde uses magnetic charged copper coils, which attract pollution particles. So basically, you vacuum clean the air clean of pollution. Great idea, although it has only been proven effective on a rather small scale. Just imagine the size of the vacuum cleaner. You would need to clean an entire city.
5. Geo-Engineering
Not much has to be said about geo-engineering. People can play God by reengineering the earth and our climate system. We can put iron in the oceans through geoengineering to make them more fertile and sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere to cool our globe down. We take control of our own thermostat, so to speak. Many are hesitant about this particular idea, as it will possibly annoy Mother Nature even more if we start taking over all of her jobs. Her wrath can only be imagined.
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6. Innovative Filters
Filters that act like trees. That explanation should suffice. Trees are natural CO2 filters, so it was only a matter of time before someone tried to mimic that effect using real filters. A real-life synthetic tree got even people like Richard Branson excited, who promised to shell out close to 15 million dollars to anyone who could make it a reality.
7. Photosynthesis Bikes
Try pronouncing this one three times in a row. Synthetic trees might not even be needed if we can replicate the trees’ functions in a bike. Photosynthesis bikes do not simply reduce emissions by, well, being emission-free bikes; they also clean the air using water and electric power from a lithium-ion battery. They are still in the design stage, with not even a prototype insight, but the idea is surely appealing. No need for a forest of synthetic trees when you can synthesize bikes; full pun intended.
8. Clean-Air Helmets
While riding one of those bikes, you can wear a clean-air helmet. Although one hopes we would never go as far as really needing those to survive, it is strangely reassuring to know that people are working on this helmet, providing you with a bubble of clean air on the go.
9. Anti-Smog Martial Arts
Wait. What? Another initiative that only could have originated from China, the birthing place of martial arts. And no, it is not that you do martial arts actually get smog out of the air. It merely serves to make the practitioner better able to withstand it. An elementary school teacher designed this routine of 23 exercises to make the kids’ lungs stronger. Another better-be-safe-than-sorry tactic will not help us per se, but it's nice to think about either way.
10. Plants
Last but not least. Plants, Mother Nature’s perfect solution for removing pollution from the air. Their natural power to convert carbon dioxide to oxygen - so taking something bad and replacing it with something good - is quite easily unparalleled. Indoor gardens are great, large outdoor parks even better. Some smart entrepreneurs are figuring out ways of using the plants’ natural power in their business, selling it as ‘air-filtering’ plants—no arguing with that.
Before you go!
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