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Artificial trees - 27.08.2009
Artificial trees to decarbonise the planet
Artificial trees to reduce carbon dioxide emissions: this is one of the solutions put forward by engineers from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in a report to "decarbonise" the global economy.
The engineers studied hundreds of different options but have put forward just three as being practical and feasible using current technology. One of the solutions presented in the report is to deploy within 10 to 20 years a forest of 100,000 "artificial trees" to help soak up the world's carbon emissions.
These artificial trees are already at the prototype stage, Dr. Tim Fox told the BBC. They capture carbon dioxide from the air through a filter. The CO2 is then removed from the filter and stored. They could eliminate thousands of times more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than the trees of equivalent size.
The authors of the report howether state that artificial trees should be used on a short-term basis. In the long run, it is vital to reduce emissions.
Source: BBC News