Eco Factor: Forests in the sky to absorb harmful CO2 from the upper atmosphere.

Reading the simple laws of physics will make you understand that hot air is lighter than cold air, and all the harmful CO2 released from factory chimneys doesn’t have an immediate effect on the people living on the ground. The exhaust gases are hot, hence they lift and stay in the upper part of the atmosphere, showing their effect on the extremely important ozone layer.

Instead of building expensive CCS systems to green the factories, some visionary architects have planned to build forests hundreds of feet in the air to capture and clean CO2 directly from the upper regions of the atmosphere. Dubbed the CO2 scraper, the skyscraper will hold up to 400 evergreen trees in different levels of the structure, which will capture polluted air and convert it into breathable oxygen. Water and other nutrients are supplied to the hanging trees with a wind-powered pumping station.

The CO2 scraper will be built near industrial areas, which account for the maximum amount of greenhouse gases. The towers will be self-sufficient except for the electricity they will need to run elevators to carry maintenance personnel to the forest. Apart from filtering air, the skyscrapers will also provide shade and cooling during hot summers.

The Dark Side:

The roots of evergreen trees go many feet in the ground to stabilize them. Planting such trees in a congested space where roots can’t bury themselves more than a couple of feet will not be able to hold the trees for long. In an extreme case, if weather starts to play its part, we fear that the trees could lose their grip and fall down on the residents and buildings below.

Via: DailyMail423887