10
CHEMISTRY
Fake Trees with Real Potential Jasmine Wong Between the end of the ice age and the Industrial Revolution, the atmospheric concentration of CO2 was at 280 ppm. Since the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century, carbon emissions have increased drastically from 0.01 billion metric tonnes in 1750 to 36.44 billion metric tonnes in 2019. This has led to an increase of CO2 concentration to an average of 410 ppm, which is an increase of 46%. As a result, the rate of climate change and global warming has rapidly increased owing to the extreme level of pollution. Hence, as a solution, why not create artificial trees that can mimic the role and functions of a tree with increased efficiency in photosynthesis?
Illustration by Jenny Kim
Reasons for the idea of artificial trees Carbon Dioxide is an odourless and colourless greenhouse gas that makes up 0.04% of the gases in the atmosphere. 1. The Sun emits electromagnetic (EM) radiation (including gamma rays and ultraviolet waves) in the form of waves travelling through space. Most EM waves enter the Earth’s atmosphere whilst some are reflected. 2. These sun rays can then take two paths: a. Sun rays are absorbed by the
earth’s surface, warming its surface. b. Some are re-emitted as longer wavelengths with lower frequencies of infra-red radiation. Most of these re-emitted waves are supposed to be reflected back into space. However, excessive volumes of greenhouse gases absorb the infrared photons
