Synthetic Trees
Could we scrub CO2 out of the atmosphere with synthetic trees? I recently read about this invention. Essentially, it’s a box designed to capture carbon dioxide (CO2), similar to how trees and forests naturally capture CO2. In our efforts to control greenhouse gases, perhaps we’ll be installing CO2 collecting windfarm-like installations of these synthetic forests in remote areas.
Image from Stonehaven Productions
The prototype synthetic trees produced by Global Research Technologies have 1000x better rate of CO2 uptake then an actual tree. So, what does a synthetic tree look like?
“This tree looks a bit like a box, think of a rectangular box standing up on its end. It’s current rendition is about 9-10 ft tall and is taller then it is wide or deep. [..] Inside the box there are hanging vertical panels of material that do act similar to leaves in that they have an affinity for or they attract CO2 which sticks to them. Now a leaf is a little different because leaves do many more things. They give off oxygen, they make food for the tree, etc. etc. This material just picks up CO2 and does it at a rate that is much more efficient then a tree would.”
Engineer Alan Wright, from Global Research Technologies talking to National Geographics News in the Jan 4, 2008 Podcast
