Castillo, Nallely

Attorney at Law

World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development

03/05/2024

Written by: Nallely Castillo Landa, Senior Attorney at Law. 5th of

March 2024.

Historically, engineering has played a very significant role in various aspects of our lives; however, in recent years, this field has been indispensable in improving our environment. So much so that UNESCO designated March 4th as World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development.

Now more than ever it is of utmost importance to become aware of the climate changes that have been generated in recent years worldwide. For this reason, research and technological developments focused specifically on improving our environment and achieving a sustainable world, to ensure a better planet for the future, are becoming more and more important.

Nowadays there are institutions and scientists focused on the effort to mitigate the effects of climate change, and through significant inventions, they have contributed to counteracting all the damage we have caused. It is worth noting that these inventions are already fully operational. An example of this is the "Liquid3" liquid tree created by the biophysicist Dr. Ivan Spasojevic from the Multidisciplinary Research Institute at the University of Belgrade.

Dr. Spasojevic recognized the need for more trees in large cities to clean the air; however, the problem was precisely the lack of space. So, he designed a liquid tree consisting of a glass container holding 600 liters of water and microalgae that capture CO2 and emit oxygen, mimicking the functions of a real tree. Interestingly, as it cleans more air, the liquid turns greener. This invention purifies the same amount of air as a mature tree of 20 years would. Furthermore, this invention does not require special maintenance, as every month and a half, the biomass created by the algae (which serves as fertilizer) needs to be removed, and fresh water and minerals poured in. The algae continue to grow indefinitely.

In Mexico, a similar invention was developed by the company Biomitech. The technology is protected by patent MX 359868 B, which remains valid until May 8, 2037. This company first installed its artificial tree called "BioUrban" in the state of Puebla. This tree can perform the photosynthesis work equivalent to 368 natural trees. Currently, Biomitech offers four models with different capture capacities and purification volumes, including one designed for domestic use.

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It should be clarified that neither of the two inventions aims to replace trees. Their objective is to clean the air in areas where there is not enough space to plant them. The remarkable aspect is that everything is done through a natural process.

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This year, in addition to celebrating the World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development, it is time to start making a change in our daily lives and make use of the technology developed, such as energy-saving light bulbs and refrigerators, as well as windows, doors and curtains with heat regulation to reduce our carbon footprint. If we do not start today, when will we?

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