Our feature image highlighting the pollution absorption capabilities!
A gif of how the CityTree moss is able to help fight air pollution
The implementation timeline of all our solutions
A full view of what we envision the future of New Delhi to be like
Here's a 400-word description of our multi-faceted solution!
<aside> 📌 Ananya is a mother of three who stays home to care for her children everyday while her husband takes their only car to work. Ananya has had increased trouble breathing and the walls of her house are covered in dangerous soot. Her family lives off a below-average income of 8260 INR per month.
Our vision of New Delhi and women like Ananya’s future utilizes carbon capture technology and efficient energy usage. Around 7 million people die due to air pollution every year, and Delhi is 14.3 times over the WHO’s safe air quality level. At times, the smog is so thick that car pileups occur. To decrease pollution, we take a multi-faceted approach that tackles the two main contributors: construction and cooking. This approach involves the usage of moss, solar panels, air filtration and cross-laminated timber.
CityTree moss is the primary pollution-capture method. The moss is able to “digest” air pollutants like nitrogen oxides and smog particles, decreasing the city’s carbon by 240 tonnes! CityTree also has a built-in rainwater catchment system which ensures minimal usage of drinking water, and IoT sensors that pinpoint specific problems in the air. The moss can be added to offices and shops close to neighbourhoods or even directly to homes.
Another aspect is installing solar panels. Indoor air pollution kills even more people than outdoor air pollution and in India, 2/3 of the population still uses biomass as cooking fuel; a very polluted fuel. The effects of indoor air pollution disproportionately affect people like Ananya who spend more time indoors than men. Out of all IAP-related deaths, 6/10 are women or children. With that in mind, substituting current fuels with solar cooking by using solar panels would curb emissions and source clean, renewable energy.
Air filtration systems will further aid with indoor air pollution. Smart filters ship directly to India with carbon and HEPA filters that absorb PM2.5 and COVID particles. At 8499 INR, it is cost-effective for those most in need, cleaning a 40m2 space in 25 minutes.
Cross-laminated timber will be used for the construction of all buildings which is not only cheaper than concrete but also environmentally friendly as it sequesters nearly one tonne of carbon dioxide over its life cycle (from 50 to hundreds of years). For comparison, the cement and concrete industry contribute 8 percent to global GHG emissions.
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