Researchers at Arizona State University have created "mechanical trees" that will be placed throughout the U.S. in an effort to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere.
Dubbed “mechanical trees” for their resemblance to actual trees in both appearance and carbon-capturing ability, Silicon Kingdom Holdings (SKH), a Dublin-based company, intends to erect 1200 of the thin metal columns in the U.S. over one year. The trees have the capability to capture roughly 8,000 cars’ worth of CO2 emissions annually.
The company’s objective is to capture CO2 using the filter-like components installed in the mechanical trees, for less than the cost of other carbon-capturing measures. The system uses wind to force air through its system rather than energy-intensive mechanisms to capture the carbon dioxide. Once extracted, the CO2 can then be sold or.sequestered for industrial and agricultural use.