A Breath Of Fresh Air: New "Smog-Sucking" Towers Scrub The Skies

Air pollution is an issue in many major cities, but how is it possible to ameliorate the damages caused from...well, it being a city?  Until the clean cars come along, or truckers figure out a way to make some seriously heavy-lifting bicycles, these new smog-removal towers sound like a good plan...

Its physical similarities to the Monolith of "2001" are probably intentional.
(Image courtesy dezeen.com.)

According to WebUrbanist.com, the crowdfunded Smog Free Tower project has been established for a trial run in Rotterdam.  Using clean energy, the towers filter particulate matter from the air, creating a healthier environment in their general vicinity.

Finally, science has seen the light...not just the dull, greyish glow...of how to fix this issue.
(Image courtesy dezeen.com.)

Created by Dutch designer Daan Roosegarde, the device uses buried coils of copper to entrap smog particles in a positively-charged ion electrostatic field.  This magnetically drags the smog particles into the machine and out of the air, allowing for easy breathing.  And not a moment too soon, claims Roosegarde.

“We have created machines to enhance ourselves. We invented the wheel and cars to liberate ourselves and travel. But now these machines are striking back, making air polluted in high-density cities like Beijing,” he explained.

How bad is the smog problem?  That's Beijing, as seen from space.
That grey stuff is not natural cloud-cover.
(Image courtesy rpi-cloudreassembly.transversity.com.)

Now, one of his crowdfunded creations has been established in Rotterdam, with more towers to deploy in high-risk areas like Beijing, Paris, Mexico City.  The towers are 20 feet high and run on about the same amount of energy needed for a water boiler (1,400 watts.)  Each machine can clean 30,000 cubic meters of air per hour.  

Roosegarde is a noted artist/architect whose previous projects have encompassed such ideas as a solar-powered, Van Gogh-inspired, illuminated bike path and a suit that turns invisible when you lie.  He has strong visions of the future incorporating technology seamlessly into our everyday lives, and this is just another means of achieving a higher standard of living through conscientious creativity.

He's even found a way to make the smog byproducts look sleek - the condensed particulate matter can be enclosed in lucite and worn as jewelry or cufflinks, or just kept around as a reminder of what your lungs are going to look like on the inside if this problem isn't taken seriously.  Fortunately, Roosegarde has one of the best answers blowin' in the wind.

One person's smog is another person's bling.
(Image courtesy chinadialogue.net.)