Dutch designer Daan Roosegaarde set out to improve the ecological situation in China with the help of bicycles that will not only not emit harmful gases into the atmosphere, but also absorb existing pollution.
Daan is known for the implementation of a similar Chinese project - he is the creator of the Smog Free Tower in Beijing*, which has been absorbing carbon and particulate matter in the Chinese metropolis since 2016. The success of this smog-clearing tower allowed the inventor to receive new orders: a similar project is planned to be implemented in India this year, and Colombia and Mexico appear in further plans.
Daan's new idea is to repeat the success of the tower in a mobile form by implementing a system for absorbing air pollution in bicycles (Smog Free Bicycle). This idea led him to collaborate with local start-up OFO, which specializes in bike-sharing (bike-sharing) , for which he received the name "Uber for bicycles". Its distribution in China is truly massive: about 3 million people use this service in 34 cities.
“Bicycles have always been a symbol of energy-conscious living and reduced traffic congestion, but these bikes do double duty because they clean the air while you pedal. Design for me has never meant reinventing another chair or table. We have to use creativity to improve lifestyle,” says Roosgaarde. And he adds : “Bicycles are certainly in the DNA of the Dutch, but Beijing and other cities in China were once cities of cyclists. We want to restore prestige to them and make citizens part of the solution, not the problem.”
the Kickstarter crowdfunding platform in 2015. Those who supported this campaign were presented with original gifts - rings and cufflinks created from the particles that this tower collected.
See also anekdotig:
- Newsletter: " WHO: China No. 1 in absolute mortality from air pollution, Ukraine No. 1 in relative " (September 27, 2016)
- Newsletter: “ Schools Surrounded by Green Spaces Are Less Affected by Environmental Pollution ” (July 24, 2015)
- Article: Green Cities of the World: What to Aim for ” (April 24, 2017)
- Advice: " Plant a Tree " (April 14, 2017)
- Tip: " Use your bike to get around " (June 7, 2016)