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From: TEDtalksDirector
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  • had me at "you will not die. at all"

  • I thought all plants take CO2 and turn it into O2?

  • @PeaceUdo They do, but in varying amounts.

  • Can they grow well in Zone 9a, which is sub-tropical?

  • @AnnNoire These plants are zone 12 if you wish to grow them outdoors. Any zone will work if you grow them indoors and keep the temperature 50 or above.

  • *runs and buys those plants* Thank you!

  • and you will not die... at all hahaha

  • pipefriend!

  • Keeping 3 different plants inside the house can enhance your life span. Thanks for sharing these wonderful thoughts. Nice Video.

  • My lungs are at 40%. I have nothing to lose. I'm grateful, and will try this. I watched it 6 times and wrote everything down.Thanks.

  • My lungs are at 40%. I have nothing to lose. I'm grateful, and will try this.Thanks.

  • @eljay2121 its in delhi, very limited space, very high pollution. in the UK the plants would have to be wiped alot less/not at all, as no layers of grime will build up on them.

    in delhi, not alot of people are going to be able to afford machines either. and if you live a year longer because of having a jungle, isit not worth giving up a few meters of space?

  • @eljay2121 It's not bad at all... I have a 3,000 sq ft home, and have 1 plant per 100 square feet. Yea 30 plants, so what I enjoy it. Just cuz it's not for you doesn't mean it's bad....

  • he doesn't say how many Money Plants...

  • After watching this video I went out and bought a pile of these plants.. every one I could find in my city in fact... Within 24 hours we could feel a difference in our air, I no longer have asthma.. and my new hobby is picking up new houseplants every time I have a few dollars extra. I'm also trying to get more plants into my workplace, which has resulted in my having much less sick days than usual and I feel better at work too!

  • @sherilaugh Do you have any updates about your hobby? Is your asthma still gone? Do you have plants in your bedroom and if so, do you take them out at night?

  • this is fantastic!

  • Not sure if I can grow this in my apartment.

  • @Ramshobraja A lot of people in small apartments have vertical gardens. See if U have the place for it.

  • nice stuff

  • A high-tech substitute that can convert CO2 into O2?? I'd love to see that..

  • @tinosnit it is peoples thinking that there is, which causes the troubles in this world. interesting that an organism which has worked itself through billions of years of continuous evolution, guides us through the thoughts which come we absorb digest and . . how how how, can we possibly think we can better on nature with a chemical fix at its having took all this time .and well all ill is because we haven't the patience to read nature, let alone our own

  • Dear all, Dr Kamal Meattle has given us a tool not needing any political or religous support to implement. Just knowledge. Congratulations

  • One comment: everything about the "money plant" or "pathos" is poisonous to eat. So be careful that small children and pets can not reach this plant for a nibble.

    One feedback: after watching this video I added 7 4 feet hight areca palms to the household and 3 2 feet "bedroom plants". My husband says he wakes up feeling better in the morning as a result. Cool!

  • pretty impressive concept... although thinking about it aren't greenhouse gases meant to be bad for the environment?! still a very impressive concept by a country that is moving ahead of its current competition in leaps and bounds... may be something to think about in the near future... cities are already highly polluted and maybe plants WILL contribute to better health... lets see...

  • Forgive me if I read your comment wrong but i think your understanding of greenhouse gasses is incorrect. The reason "greenhouse gasses" are called such is because they cause the earths atmosphere to act like a greenhouse, by preventing heat from escaping the earths atmosphere not because they are are produced by greenhouses, or photosynthesis performing plants.

  • That is soo nice :)

  • Comment removed

  • Wow you're an idiot. Try opening a window in Delhi. The point is even outdoor air in heavily populated cities can be so polluted that it causes low blood oxygen and decreased productivity. Unless you live in Kansas or Iowa, which would explain you're stupidity, you should know that. Plus opening a window in summertime can release cold air requiring more energy to be used by your air conditioner.

  • Hey. Careful with the "Kansas or Iowa" thing. Stereotypes are lame.

  • i'v seen a lot of things on the internet, comments like yours dzjad... not one of them.

  • You're is a contraction of you are. Your is the genitive.

  • There's a building in Toronto that has a "bio-wall" in the lobby filled with plants that works on the same principle as the talk. The wall filters the air for the entire building and is connected to the ventilation system, reducing the need for plants on every floor. The air in the building never seems stale and there are fewer sick days caused by people breathing in stale air. The energy/water costs are also low in comparison to running more expensive and less effective air filtration systems.

  • cuhlik has very good point.

    Plants need ENERGY in the form of LIGHT, to photosynthesize and emit oxygen.

    The video has not shown the calculations, which are simple enough for a physicist or biologist. My calculations show we need a LARGE tree per person to provide our oxygen. With loads of light energy too. It will need a large glasshouse.

    Nice idea but the physics must be done thoroughly to discover the amount of light and plants needed :)

  • I bet more houses will be developed that are part green house/ connected to a green house. That would be effecient and people could grow some of their own food right in their homes.

  • Yes have you heard of rooftop gardens it's really neat. I've seen one in a video and I would definitely want one.

  • The guy giving this talk is enthusiastic, but he doesn't do the math. Lots of precise statistics, but it seems made up to me. Bogus.

    1800 kcal / day is 87 watts --- rule of thumb, a human is about 100 watts. Plants are about 1% efficient. Each person requires 10 kilowatts of light. 40 kilowatts of electricity with efficient fluorescents.

  • Dont point out someone without knowing the knowlege in the same line..Its easy to point out someone rather than recognizing someones achievements.Learn that brother...

  • I'm interested to learn that so few plants are needed per person. I had thought that long-duration space missions which envisioned greenhouses to generate/scrub the oxygen were fanciful - no longer.

  • plants ground the light, leech earth of its minerals and present us with the breath of our being. Every plant on earth adds the very essence of its medicinal compounds to the air, it the missing link in our health care system. We were created to breathe fresh air, and doctor ourselves with the fresh food we eat.

  • 2:00

    "You would not die... AT ALL."

    : )

  • i dont have the green thumb thats the problem

  • don't need one for these . get a pot with a water container underneath and you only have to water them once a week . . rest is good if we can do it and the plants will love you for doing it.

  • The plants are a great idea, and there seems to be good numbers to back up his claims, so this is not a criticism there. That said, plants convert CO2 into sugar using energy harnessed by causing sunlight to convert H2O into O2 and ATP. Plants do not convert CO2 into O2.

  • Comment removed

  • There are three plants that use the vernacular money plant. Try the proper name listed in the video.

  • i can't get over just how simple the solution is!

  • Cool, you could use this in a base on the moon.

  • I think there is more to it than just converting CO2 into O... probably :) But I have to agree that it would be cool, you just pump air from the earth in it, shoot it to the moon and the plants do the rest.

  • you still need soil, wind, an ecosystem, and an entire food chain.

  • Comment removed

  • ecosystems***

  • Damn, I read "fresh hair"

  • So did I! There's something about the way we read language so quickly that makes the "h" jump to the adjacent vowel.

  • LOL, nice one

  • Why does TED try to make me deaf at the end of every video.

  • @dbzakj as well as it does at the beginning. they ought remember they are guests in our homes when we watch them and don't need be blasted out of our mind. . . maybe we ought add it to all their videos. . .think anybody would take notice? ?

  • @HamOnCan Fortunately, at least for the newer vids, they've made it less ear drum destructive, perhaps the message got through.

  • @dbzakj ...and at the beginning.

  • That was an original one!!!

    :)

  • 4 shoulder-high plants per person of the first for the living room...

    6-8 waist high plants per person of the second one for the bedroom...

    if i only had the space ;)

  • For crying out loud, can we get a speaker to propose solutions that NORMAL people can do?!

    Areca Palm - Often sold incorrectly as a "house plant", it is anything but. It won't live in 99.9% of indoor spaces.

    Mother-in-law's Tongue - The only 'common' plant out of the 3.

    Money Plant - Great, except that it's poisonous to dogs, cats, and kids.

    I would LOVE to get plants to improve the quality of my indoor air. I just wish that this talk had told me how to do that.

  • Perhaps you just do not know how to grow the palms indoors, Evidently the speaker is doing just that.

  • Uhmm I got areca palm an usually my plants die. I tend to forget to water them and such:p But because of it´s big size it seems to cope well. I bought mine from IKEA which for me makes it common.

  • What's your climate? The speaker developed a solution for buildings in India.

    Even with the tropical climate in India he must clean the leaves every day (i don't even want to imagine the logistics of this) and take it out regularly. Areca P. needs more than window light, and is very challenging to care for.

    A few months will tell. Check with an internet search - lots of forms are littered with people complaining about their palm plants dying b/c the vendor was ignorant or dishonest.

  • I´m in sweden so climate is somewhat cold compared to india. I never clean my leaves btw. Plants are sensitive so try to tell them and feel love to them. They will know. Some scientist did an experiment on this and it actually showed some results depending on how the human was feeling. But if you are totally science oriented in the head and naive. You will be ignorant to what I just said.

  • Junriah,

    "totally science oriented in the head and naive" don't necessarily go together.

  • i believe he said if you are both

  • Me too, and the reply still stands.

  • He didn't say it was the climate that caused the need to clean the leaves, he said "every day in Delhi, perhaps once a week in cleaner air cities," it sounds like particles in the air are dirtying up the leaves. If the leaves are dirty it would impact their ability to efficiently clean the air if the leaves are dirty. I'm not assuming the plants will die or even "not thrive" without the wiping down... this chore is to maintain peak usefulness in air filtration.

  • How do you "wipe them down" anyway? Are you using a sponge? Umm, the business building they used this for has over 1,200 plants.

    Be it once a day or once a week, manually wiping the leaves down will price this solution out. Plus, some areas don't have the benefit of dirt cheap labor like in New Delhi.

    @Junriah: If someone domesticated you and fed you an unnatural diet, doing it with a smile doesn't help all that much.

  • A way to automate that would be a hole in the market.

    On to the drawing table!

  • wiping the plants down in rotation would be easy. Its unskilled labor. plus it creates a job and decreases cost.

  • Perhaps some sort of pneumatic system that blows air on them?

  • You could buy a Heart Leaf Philodendron

  • I <3 plants =)

  • Very interesting. Nevertheless we should not forget that humans are just one species. If we destroy the environment and find "artificial" solutions for ourselves, we still make this world a worse place to live for all the other species!!!

  • that will be helpful to me when all of you people's air runs out =)

  • So....money doesn't grow on trees but it grows on plants?

  • hehehe, you won't die at all!

  • I though all plants made fresh air(oxygen), maybe those plant are quickest and best for it ; After all you can't get a tree into you house...

  • apart from an xmas one that is...

  • are these plants not safe around kids or pets? is that why he talks about them being in the workplace?

  • I think he is just trying to get his point across that it is increases work productivity and such... And workplaces and productivity go hand in hand... But I'm not sure.

  • But Mother-in-laws tongue is supposed to be bad feng shui. Especially in the bedroom. Who wants there mother-in-law in their bedroom? I wonder if there's another option.

  • perhaps don't keep it in the bedroom

  • Wonderful info. I heard spider plants are great also. With hydrophonics, many can avoid the mold allergy issues.. It would be worth the 'jungle effect' in a small apartment.. to have MORE oxygen, less formaldehyde.. We only have 40 years to go.. we need to stop polluting.. big-time a--now.

  • Where can we find how many Money Trees per person?

  • I cannot say this with any credibility; but this sounds very high maintenance, and expensive, with high water requirements for large areas.

  • Please "eedahl", do not re-enforce the belief that something like this is not plausible or economically viable. That shows ignorance and unwillingness to shift one's paradigm. The man has stated that he's observed 20% increase in productivity with such a change in the workplace. This increase in productivity can translate into profit for the company so long as they are willing engineer their workspace to not only sustain business as usual, but these plants as well.

  • (cont)... New architectural techniques can be instituted that take into account the savings that are to be had by installing a plant growth system that is complete self-sufficient. Money can also potentially be saved on the health care of workers because problems such as headaches and respiratory complications are drastically reduced. This solution is a win-win-win for the economy. People need to build these structures, workers get a fresher environment, and the employer can take home profit.

  • I agree completely. Brushing the idea aside was not my intention. Raising the potential problem, however, was. If you can't see the problem with something, you probably won't improve it either. So, kudos to the man with the plants. Hope it works out.

  • Increasing quality of life is priceless.

  • I don't know that this would work on an individual basis. I live in a one bedroom apartment and I simply can't imagine living with over a dozen large plants. It would look like a jungle.

  • Yes I would have to agree. I have 4 in my house hold and that's well over 50 large plants if I wanted to manufacture my own air. But, I do intend on acquiring several large plants just to increase the air quality in my home just by 'a little'.

  • I live in a similar apartment. Right now, im considering to sacrifice some more space to my plants...

    A jungle? definitely, but I can see a certain appeal in that. Its not exactly so that white walls (maybe with posters, other artworks or similar decorations) are the height of esthetic living space, either :) Plants are beautiful in a way that only living things can be. I believe they would integrate wonderfully into most kind of human-made environments.

  • very cool

  • very interesting.

    The first thing that comes to mind is that algae photobioreactors would be more efficient. But they seem cumbersome compared to the simple pot plants that this guy is suggesting.

  • four shoulder high Areca palms or living room plant per person . makes

    o2 from co2 . (must wipe leaves everyday in dirty cities)(must also go outside every three to four months) 2nd Mothers in law tongues. (work at night ) 6 chest high plants per person...

    3 rd money plant

  • Yeah, who's got time for an additional 3.5 minutes.

  • best ted video in months.

  • How much water do they need?? Isnt this an environmetal issue, too?

  • less than your toilet.

  • Mother-in-law's tongue - named by a botanist with issues lol.

    Excellent video, short, to the point and very informative.

  • He didn't say how many money plants you need did he?

  • you can never have enough money

  • simple but powerful message, I guess 4 minutes is all it takes

  • He forgot the cannabis plant!

  • Absolutely Correct

  • one of the most intriguing talks i have seen and they only give him 4 minutes?

  • Excellent. There are other plants that do a great job too if you want some plant variety in your house.

    Be careful what plants you buy though if you own dogs or cats, some plants are toxic to pets (and in some cases even young children) if they chew on their leaves.

  • short and sweet :)

    I should get some of those plants

  • for your convenience

    areca palm

    mother-in-law's tongue

    money plant

  • I think the number of plants needed in order to mantain a healthy enviroment is high, would be interesting to see what genetist could do to help improve this sistem.

  • ..excuse me while i go get some plants.

  • Very cool. That takes up a lot of space though.

  • re: "Very cool. That takes up a lot of space though. "

    so do cars, and sofas, and tvs, and beds, and microwaves, and lava lamps, and bookshelves. if we can make room for entertainment, we can make room for health.

  • "This plant converts CO2 to oxygen!"

    Wow. Sounds like a very special plant.

  • My thoughts exactly. XD

  • Ha ha ha!!! Indeed...

  • All plants convert CO2 to oxygen... some in more unique ways than others.

    Every plant is very special, just as is every animal and every Human.

  • Maybe they can use this in spaceships ?

  • Probably not the most efficient way to get clean air in a spaceship. (uses up water and needs lighting).

    On the other hand, psychological studies on astronauts show that for long missions away from earth there are serious mental health concerns, and giving the astronauts a plant to care for is an extremely effective means of keeping them sane.

  • Actually it is the most efficient since advanced space craft utilize technology that isolates the gravity around the craft.

    this means that the craft is in a bubble of it's own energy.

    You only have as much breathable air as when you start up the device that powers the craft.

    As stated in the above video you could be in a bottle and never worry about fresh air since the plants convert it naturally.

    The device would also power any lighting and you could use an AWG to produce the water you need.

  • Short and sweet. Great video

  • No kidding.. I was hoping it would be longer.. Figures, one I really enjoy and its just over in a few minutes..

  • Might consider growing these plants after i research it myself a little bit.

    Gonna find that journal the speaker mentioned in the Government of India first.

    Thanks for the info, will come in handy.

  • I like how he has science, instead of 'the energy of the motion of the plant' or some other woo woo.

  • 4 shoulder height plants per person?

    6-8 waist height plants in the bedroom?

    nice, but not everyone has the room for that many plants.

    want fresh air? open a window. :D

  • That only works if the air outside is fresh.. which it sure as hell isn't in New Delhi. Or most other big cities for that matter x3

  • like the air out there is so damm fresh? or that would be save say on the 12 floor or up? just too give a idear

  • This is for those living in places where opening a window wouldn't help with getting fresh air.

  • I'm totaly going to do this. Great info thank you.

  • Why didn't they use these plants in the 'Biosphere 2'?  It failed, at least until Columbia University took over. Just shows you how you can have lots of money, but have incorrect knowledge.

  • uhh great! thx

  • I think we should start incorporating nature into our lives. Plants should purify our air, not ionic breezes. We should use our unused roofs to grow food.

  • I wouldn't like the food on my plate coming from my roof of my skyscraper standing in the middle of a megalopolis, which is covered with smog. Well, I guess you didn't quite mean this extreme. I think solar energy production on our roofs would be great, at least during the summer time, when the roof is not covered with snow.

  • Great band-aid solution BUT the outside air is the problem. "I will drive to my job @ the petro-chemical company and thank godness I have plants in my office. I feel SOOO healthy!"

  • shortest ted talk i've ever seen.

  • simple and genius =

    5 stars

  • With reference to rating a presentation, I always ask what the difference is between a speaker's delivery and reading the information. Secondly, his use of statistics would resonate more effectively if there was some narrative offered as contrast.

    6 of 10, on the above rating scale

  • haha you're pathetic

  • Your parents must have been proud of raising you to be such as an asshole. What's the matter? Potty training not go well as a child?

  • yes, that's exactly what went wrong. thank you for your profound insight.

  • Awesome, if anything most of you guys that dont want to breath in more fresh air and help with simple every day human problems it can help increase work productivity.

    Thats fucking sweet.

    If I get a chance i'll have to try some of these out ;P

  • Wait a minute , he didnt grow any air! He just grows plants that produce oxygen :D

  • wow

  • We already know how to fix the atmosphere of earth, quit burning fossil feuls and plant, not cut down trees.

    Indoor air quality is a huge problem now that our buildings are sealed up tight for efficient heating and cooling. This man just pesented a way to make that air better, to promate better health and quality of life.

    Thank you for sharing!!

    5 stars *****

  • it's not just fuel it's manufacturing and the cumulative affects of sprawl as well as agriculture.

    Systematic destruction of Eco-systems adds to air impurities.

    Consumption of processed foods and sterile environments in our youth promote allergic reactions later as well.

    Kamal's reaction is symptomatic of all of the above.

  • I agree entirely. But the issue addressed here is with humans spending most of thier lives indoors 8 hours work, 8 hours sleep, this man was suffering and found a solution. Good for him and us!!!!

  • I also agree... but this research should not end there.

    And with that I'm sure you agree as well :)

  • Most definetly, I hope he doesint stop there!!

  • O2

    Just saying.

  • we have areca palms outside... i'm not sure but looks like it... i think it is... @w@

  • simple and helpful

  • cool, im getting them for myself, and will try get our hotel to invest too.....awesomeness.....

  • I rather die in a rain forest then live in this air.

  • next time try to think before you post something like that

  • lol id stfu. it's sad that i knew someone would cry about the comment.

    its called sarcasm. joke maybe? kidding?

    maybe those words are big boiy words that you dont understand

  • that sometimes doesnt work jmartins but this time i think it would especially for those giant office buildings and i imagine it would create a lot of office gardening jobs

  • And that is why DIYers are scarce.

  • I understand the need to wash air in dense urban environments and the use of house plants to wash the air "indoors"... that's all good and interesting that it's been narrowed down to 3 basic plants.

    Is that it though? No more investigation in which plants are most efficient? Are we done?

    No...

    And another question... do we retreat to indoors or do we protect and promote "plants" that will ef