With the impending doom of climate change looming closer and closer, NGOs, nonprofits, and governments around the world are asking citizens to drive less, buy local, and “reduce, reuse, and recycle.” However, there are certain places where these gestures may not be enough—cities where years of heavy industry, inefficient energy usage, and a lack of environmental regulation have contributed to massive pollution, non-potable water, and smog-drenched skies (we’re looking at you, China). Indeed, the situation in some areas is so dire that the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is on the brink of mandating governments to physically extract greenhouse gases from the air. But, other than simply planting a bunch of trees all over the place, how exactly does one do this? With the heat from the UN—and with billionaire patrons like Richard Branson dangling a giant money-carrot—the race is on to develop innovative methods and technologies to assist in carbon dioxide removal. The scope of concepts is vast, ranging from god-like weather control and geo-engineering efforts, to personal breathing-capsules and grassroots DIY filters. Here are some of the most interesting—and strangest—contenders in this worldwide race to eradicate pollution. AP Photo/Ng Han Guan via …
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