According to the World Health Organization about half of the urban population in the world are exposed to air pollution. In 2012, some 7 million died because of it, according to one of its reports. For Beijing, it may take more than 16 years before they experience clean air again. Other urban areas in the world also have to wait several years before their air pollution problem is solved.
While air pollution is still very much a big problem, Asians have come up with coping mechanisms.
Here are some creative solutions to cope with the air pollution in your area:
- Fashionable facemasks. Beijing fashion designer Nina Griffee innovated the facemask couture to make it more fashionable to wear these air-breathing equipment.
- Smart Air Purifier. This purifier is an alternative to the expensive air purifier equipment. Beijing Fulbright scholar Thomas Talhelm came up with this technology, which uses a regular fan and attach HEPA filter into it.
- Clean Air Forecast app. Beijing resident Dustin Grzesik came up with the Banshrine app, which forecasts when the next clean air weather would be. The forecast is based on the weather patterns.
- Nose Mask. The facemask is very bulky, so, Francis law along with his associates founded the Infipure nose mask, which is a more discreet wearable air purifier that you put in your nose.
- Longer electric car batteries. Electric cars are environmentally friendly and Stanford professor Cui Yi came up with a master battery that will give it three times longer battery life.
- Breathing Bike. British artist came up with the breathing bike, which helps empower your home filtration system as you pedal.
- Smog Vacuum. This is perhaps the best one. Dutch designer Daan Roosegaarde invented a smog vacuum made out of copper coils that creates an electromagnetic field that would suck pollution from the sky. Beijing officials are now signing a deal with him to develop this project.