Increase in concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the air is the major cause of green house effect. Researchers are determining ways to reduce the emission of carbon dioxide. Pierre Calleja, French biochemist and Shamengo pioneer have found a solution to this problem and designed an innovative algae powered street lamp, capable of absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere. These lamps can absorb a massive, one ton of CO2 in a year, which is the same amount that is absorbed by an average tree during its life span of nearly 150 years.
Pierre, using algae that absorb the CO2 from the air, plans to produce oxygen through the process of photosynthesis. The energy generated during the process is converted into light and get stored in the battery, which can be used later. Therefore, it can glow in an area with low light without requiring any external source of power. Though the light is a little softer as it is being filtered through a living organism.
He said that plants and oceans are the two natural filters in the environment that filters the air by absorbing carbon dioxide and in exchange releases oxygen, thus making the air fit for all the living organism to breath in. However, this is not enough and lately the CO2 concentration is increasing at an alarming rate.
Pierre and his team are testing the prototypes and are trying to reduce the overall cost involved in the manufacturing. This seems quite a promising product that can absorb the excess CO2 from the atmosphere and can be an answer to change in the climate caused due to CO2. The lamp can placed in urban areas such as parking lot, industrial area, where the CO2 produced is much higher. But this does not mean we can stop taking measures to reduce the CO2 production.
