HOW-TO
INTRODUCTION:
It’s fair to say that air-conditioning systems are a pretty big contributor to greenhouse gasses: they use a lot of electricity, and as the planet grows hotter, people want to use more air-conditioning. Actually, electricity production is a fairly small contributor to the warming of the planet, causing roughly 25% of all greenhouse gasses. And if we also consider the greenhouse gasses that are being released into the atmosphere, carbon dioxide is relatively minor compared to methane. Even considering these things, direct carbon capture is still a useful tool to mitigate the problem of anthropogenic climate change. It’s not as far-fetched as you might think. Through the following steps, you’ll come to understand how to modify an air conditioning unit to become a carbon capture device.
TOOLS AND MATERIALS:
- A container that fits over the exhaust of your air conditioning unit, trapping the exhaust air but not obstructing the air-conditioner’s intake. You can repurpose something or use found materials to make one.
- A bunch of clear vinyl tubes (the ones which are used in aquariums). How many you will need will depend on your design.
- A drill and a drill bit that exactly matches the diameter of the tube, and potentially one smaller drill bit.
- A lot of plastic or glass bottles, with matching caps. Both will work, but plastic will break down over time because of exposure to sunlight.
- Distilled water or tap water (that is allowed to sit out for 3 days).
- A sample of viable algae. You can order a live sample online or collect something from nature. If you want to consume the algae for your own nutrition, you should order a sample of spirulina which is known to be incredibly healthy.
- Silicone caulking
- Plant food with nitrogen and phosphorus
- A binding material such as wire or zip ties
- A knife.