I have a new respect for Toyota. According to http://news.slashdot.org/story, “Toyota has created two flower species that absorb nitrogen oxides and take heat out of the atmosphere. The flowers, derivatives of the cherry sage plant and the gardenia, were specially developed for the grounds of Toyota’s Prius plant in Toyota City, Japan. The sage derivative’s leaves have unique characteristics that absorb harmful gases, while the gardenia’s leaves create water vapor in the air, reducing the surface temperature of the factory surrounds and, therefore, reducing the energy needed for cooling, in turn producing less carbon dioxide (CO2).”
And, according to http://www.drive.com.au, even the grass where these flowers grow was taken into account. It is specially engineered grass that only needs mowing one per year. Wow, I need that grass at my house! How awesome is that?
Creating flowers is not the only proactive thing that Toyota is doing to reduce CO2 emissions in that Japan plant. Solar panels, temperature regulation and special lights also contribute to the efforts. Toyota even planted 50,000 trees to offset the factory emissions.
Those that are familiar with the production of the Prius have probably read the stories about how the manufacturing process produces such a high level of CO2 that it cancels out the green effects of owning a Prius. Well, not anymore!
Way to go Toyota! Thank you for setting a great example for other car companies to follow. I would like to present you with a BitRebels awesomeness award!
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