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| Dec 14, 2009 8:20 pm |
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Personal steps to clean air and CO2 reduction |
Ken Hilving
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For those interested in removing pollutants from their (indoor) air, there are a number of useful houseplants. English ivy, spider plant, Chinese evergreen, snake plant, philodendron, and weeping fig are good choices in the U.S..
For those interested in reducing CO2 from the atmosphere in general, trees can be good choices. The particular species should be appropriate to one's location. A choice that reduces summer sun on the home, or provides protection from winter winds, will also reduce power demands. In the U.S. the following trees are claimed to be the best choices for areas they are local to: Horse Chestnut, Black Walnut, American Sweetgum, Ponderosa Pine, Red Pine, White Pine, London Plane, Hispaniolan Pine, Douglas Fir, Scarlet Oak, Red Oak, Virginia Live Oak, and the Bald Cypress.
Fruit and nut trees offer an opportunity to absorb carbon while reducing energy consumption involved in fruit and nut transportation for personal consumption.
The CO2 released back into the atmosphere as plant material decomposes or is used as fuel is considered carbon neutral. The idea is that the plants only return to the atmosphere what they previously removed, so the net change over time is zero. Fossil fuels release carbon that had been removed from the atmosphere millennia ago, raising the ratio of CO2 in the atmosphere to these earlier levels, and "compressing" the cycle from eons to decades.
Regardless of the scientific theories involved houseplants, gardens, and neighborhood trees offer aesthetic value. mitigate local temperature swings, provide recreational opportunities, and in some culturally diverse areas offer a means of dealing with opposing beliefs.Private Reply to Ken Hilving (new win) |
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