**Columbia University Unveils High-Efficiency ‘Artificial Trees’ to Capture CO₂ at Unprecedented Rates**
Columbia University scientists have developed advanced “artificial trees” that can extract up to one ton of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere per unit each day—surpassing natural trees by a factor of a thousand in carbon capture speed. The breakthrough could play a transformative role in global efforts to mitigate climate change.
The innovative devices utilize engineered plastic leaves coated with a special resin that passively binds CO₂ from the air without relying on any power source. As air passes over the leaves, CO₂ molecules adhere to the resin and are converted into bicarbonate. Once the leaves are saturated, a simple water rinse releases the captured CO₂, allowing the device to be quickly reset for continuous use. Each unit is capable of removing roughly the daily emissions from about 36 average cars.
While these artificial trees do not produce oxygen or provide shade like their natural counterparts, their efficiency in capturing greenhouse gases is striking. This advantage opens the door to new large-scale strategies for atmospheric carbon removal, helping to complement traditional emission-reduction initiatives.
The artificial tree concept originated more than a decade ago under the leadership of Professor Klaus Lackner and his team at the Earth Institute of Columbia University. Initial prototypes were able to capture a ton of CO₂ daily—equivalent to the emissions of roughly 20 to 36 vehicles. Ongoing improvements in the synthetic resin used in these devices have since increased their carbon-capturing efficiency to approximately one thousand times that of ordinary foliage.
Looking to the future, experts envision the widespread deployment of millions of such units as a potential cornerstone in efforts to draw down atmospheric CO₂ levels. These “trees” can be installed virtually anywhere, without the need to be located near pollution sources, providing operational flexibility that could be vital to global climate objectives.
However, researchers caution that several challenges remain before the technology can be rolled out at scale. These include reducing production and operational costs, establishing efficient CO₂ storage and utilization infrastructure, and ensuring integration with broader emission-control measures.
Though lacking some of the additional ecological benefits of real trees, Columbia’s artificial trees represent a promising, highly scalable solution to carbon capture that could prove crucial in the arsenal against global warming.
