Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Self-Cleaning Buildings to Fight Smog

Posted by Zonk on from the for-a-better-tomorrow dept.

bryan8m writes "Using technology already available for self-cleaning windows and bathroom tiles, scientists hope to paint up cities with materials that dissolve and wash away pollutants when exposed to sun and rain. The idea: UV rays hitting the titanium dioxide coated cement and concrete trigger a catalytic reaction that destroys the molecules of pollutants, including nitrogen oxides."

4 of 262 comments (clear)

  1. Solar? by 2bitcomputers · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Wouldn't it be smarter to cover the buildings with solar panels, use that to power half the building and cut down of the amount of smog created by the power plants instead? Your car puts out NOTHING compared to a 250Mw coal plant.

    --
    -- Please insert another quarter
    1. Re:Solar? by jacksonj04 · · Score: 5, Interesting

      OMGS you suggested nuclear die die planet killing scum!
      [/sarcasm]

      Seriously though, whilst I'm all in favour of nuclear it lacks a lot of public support.

      A better idea would be to plant rooftop gardens, and hang cylindrical turbines off the sides of buildings. Cities act like big wind tunnels between tall buildings, cylindrical turbines could be used to turn this air into power for the building whilst the garden on the top helps buffer some of the pollution and generally make a nicer place.

      Alternatively, make the centre of large cities pedestrian only.

      --
      How many people can read hex if only you and dead people can read hex?
  2. Tarffic is the primary cause of pollution by October_30th · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Your car puts out NOTHING compared to a 250Mw coal plant.

    Traffic is the primary cause of pollution in inhabited areas and car emissions are harder to control than those of a single 250 MW coal plant.

    --
    The owls are not what they seem
  3. Re:Now, can we put DC on the transmission lines? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Now, that high power solid-state switches ( hence, power converters ) are becoming do-able, is there any way we can start putting high-voltage DC on our power grids?

    DC is horribly inefficient at delivering power. Besides, high voltage is high voltage. Power lines run just under the voltage needed to ionize the air. Once you ionize the air, then you set up currents, and those currents are sucking power, power that isn't being delivered, and could have been charged for.