Wacky Green Ideas That Might Work

Artificial leaves and trees?
Leaves, observers will note, convert sunlight into energy efficiently to stay alive through photosynthesis. Now scientists are racing to create artificial leaves and trees to power our lives as well. A team at Imperial College London is trying to build leaves that mimic photosynthesis to generate clean fuels such as hydrogen and methanol, The Guardian newspaper reports.

Another company, London-based SolarBotanic, is in the R&D stage of building artificial trees fitted with "nanoleaves" that generate electricity from sunlight and heat. In addition, piezoelectric generators capture energy from the wind, sound and rain. In theory, the trees will blend in with their surroundings, providing an aesthetically appealing source of energy.