Considering yourself an environmentalist is no longer something of an oddity. Once sneeringly labelled as ‘tree huggers’, often unknowingly in reference to the 350 Hindus who were killed in 1730 whilst trying to protect local trees from destruction, being proudly proactive against environmental degradation is largely a social norm today. Nevertheless, there is still considerable variation within the movement of environmentalism; from the light green environmentalists who argue individual actions are the way to make change; to their dark green counterparts, who put the planet’s problems at the hands of governments and polluting corporations. This article however will discuss the rise of bright green environmentalism – the belief that the unification of technological advancement and social innovation with concerns for Earth and planetary sustainability – and how this mindset is making movements in environmentalist agendas today. Unpacking inventions that are helping clean up global air and water resources, these are three ways that could change the lives we lead, and the world we live in.
Smog Free Tower
Developed by Dutch artist Daan Roosegaarde and his team of artists/scientists, the Smog Free Tower is part of a project that aims to reduce airborne particulate matter and create clean air parks. Acting essentially as a ‘smog vacuum cleaner’, the invention is a 7-metre-tall aluminium tower that uses green electricity and positive ion technology to suction up fine dust, turning them into heavier objects by projecting ions onto these polluting particles.
Weighing them down, these particles become heavy and coarse, and so become removed from the air by manner of their added mass.
Cleaning up to 30,000m3 per hour whilst using small amounts of green electricity to power the process, the Smog Free Tower has already been installed in public spaces in cities such as Krakow, Beijing, and Tianjin. Furthermore, the additional feature of transforming the dust collected into ‘SMOG FREE CUBES’ and ‘SMOG FREE RINGS’, which can be worn as eco-friendly and impactful jewellery, or treated as a unique piece of art, has cemented this invention as a creative and cost-effective approach to cleaning up our air.
Air-Ink
The brainchild of Anirudh Sharma’s Graviky Labs, an India-based start-up, Air-Ink combines artistry with inventiveness to capture carbon emissions from the atmosphere. Filtering air from vehicles and chimneys to remove particulate matter and any heavy metals, the resultant carbon that is left from this purification process is then turned into various grades of ink. Turned into cartridges and used in pens and markers, Air-Ink has created a community of creative individuals who are able to create something powerful from waste products. Moreover, Air-Ink is helping to reduce overall levels of carbon emissions in the environment, taking a stand against poor air quality in a truly productive manner.
The Ocean Cleanup
A non-profit organisation founded by Dutch inventor Boyan Slat and launched in 2021, The Ocean Cleanup is a mega-project that has the unenviable goal of removing plastic pollution from the world’s oceans. Using a system of floating barriers and screens to collect plastic debris from the ocean surface, the Cleanup project consists of a long, U-shaped barrier anchored to the ocean floor that floats on the surface of the water. Designed to passively capture litter using oceans currents, the collected plastic becomes funnelled into a central deposition point, where it can then be removed and recycled on land.
Raising awareness about the issue of plastic pollution and its impact on marine life, The Ocean Cleanup has removed over 200,000 kg of plastic from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, and in less than a year, collected over 100,000 kg of plastic from 45 other locations, sweeping an area of ocean over 3000km2. Aiming to put itself out of business by removing 90% of floating ocean plastic by 2040, Boyan’s vision and dedication is a crucial way to improve the lives of people and wildlife across the world’s waterways.
Bright Futures
Environmentalists may not be monolithic in their ideas about what is the best way to save our planet; nevertheless, the overarching goals of making a difference for future generations, whether through individual choices, protests, or supporting new innovations and technological advancements, are critically what brings people from around the world together in a single mission. The work of Daan, Anirudh, and Boyan therefore cannot be underestimated in their importance in making the air that we breathe, and water that we depend on, safe for both us, and for generations to come.
