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Toyota Develops New Flower Species To Reduce Pollution

Posted by timothy on from the better-than-to-cause-it dept.

teko_teko writes "Toyota has created two flower species that absorb nitrogen oxides and take heat out of the atmosphere. The flowers, derivatives of the cherry sage plant and the gardenia, were specially developed for the grounds of Toyota's Prius plant in Toyota City, Japan. The sage derivative's leaves have unique characteristics that absorb harmful gases, while the gardenia's leaves create water vapour in the air, reducing the surface temperature of the factory surrounds and, therefore, reducing the energy needed for cooling, in turn producing less carbon dioxide."

8 of 211 comments (clear)

  1. Bad reporting by AxeTheMax · · Score: 5, Informative

    Lots of bad science reporting there, just what you would expect from a motor journalist talking about botany. New species??? All plants absorb gases, including any nitrogen compounds in the air. Any nitrous oxides would be absorbed within the leaf, since they are nutrients and plants have an ability to absorb nutrients through the leaves (foliar feeding). All plants give off water vapour. I suspect most trees would be better at cooling the factory surrounds than gardenia plants, since by their size and nature they are faster growers and thus can transpire more water, and (for most species) they have more leaf area per unit of ground area.

  2. Re:Plants eventually die by AniVisual · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Not really. That's where coal came from. Plants inhale the carbon dioxide in the air, make 'em carbom, die, decompose, get buried in the ground, and 100,000,000 years later become coal and oil.

  3. New tag should be.... by thatseattleguy · · Score: 5, Funny

    whatcouldpossiblygrowwrong

  4. Re:Plants eventually die by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Oh yeah? Have you SEEN plants turn into coal? I bet not! God put the coal there to test your faith!!!

  5. Re:If they want to reduce pollution by robfoo · · Score: 5, Funny

    Because cars are awesome, hippy.

  6. Re:Plants eventually die by noundi · · Score: 5, Funny

    Obligatory Bill Hicks quote:

    I think God put you here to test my faith dude.

    --
    I am the lawn!
  7. Re:If they want to reduce pollution by L4t3r4lu5 · · Score: 5, Funny

    GM tried, but the government just won't let them stop. Even when nobody is buying them.

    --
    Finally had enough. Come see us over at https://soylentnews.org/
  8. Re:FRAUD ALERT -- Slashdot sucked in again? by Mathinker · · Score: 5, Informative

    Plants cannot metabolize nitrogen directly.

    You are correct. However, the article talks about nitrogen oxides, not molecular nitrogen. The nitrogen in nitrogen oxides is already "fixed" and can be absorbed by many different kinds of plants.

    Why do you think you put nitrogen fertilizers to plants, if the atmosphere is > 70% nitrogen?

    As you probably know, we'd all be dead if the atmosphere were ~70% nitrogen oxides.