The leaf is one of nature’s wonders. Why? Well, how about the fact it uses sunlight as energy? How incredible is that? But what if we could make leaves of our own to help us power things in our lives and save the climate? Now that’s not a bad idea.
- Our relationship with plants on our planet is pretty wild. As humans, we breathe in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. And plants take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen. It’s a beautiful and important cycle.
- In our current climate crisis, where we’re trying to restore the balance of nature, what could be better than copying what plants do to help us grab the excess carbon dioxide in our atmosphere?
- A scientific team from California has already succeeded in creating an artificial leaf that does amazing things. Using the sun, it can convert carbon dioxide into methanol, an alternative biofuel that’s cheaper than ethanol (something we already use in our gas that helps the fuel burn in our engines). Genius!
- Other leaves that have been invented include one that has a photovoltaic wafer that grabs sunlight and turns it into electricity that also powers the leaf coated in chemicals on either side. When it’s immersed in water, the leaf starts a chemical reaction on one side, creating oxygen, and on the other hydrogen gas.
- This particular leaf, the inventor envisions, could cover our roofs and use ordinary tap water and the sun to create electricity for the house, storing the hydrogen that’s also produced to be used in a fuel cell for even more overnight house power. An incredible way to fuel our homes using very simple ingredients!
The artificial leaf may seem like a science fiction dream, but the truth is its creation could ensure that all our futures are very leafy and green indeed.