Sustainability / Technology

Liquid Trees in Belgrade: An Eco-Friendly Solution to Air Pollution

A "cyberpunk" solution for the absence of trees

Captura de pantalla Liquid3 Youtube
Javier Planas Javier Planas
Avatar Kenya Barcus

Belgrade – Serbia’s capital city – which is known for its rich historical sites and vibrant culture. But there’s a growing concern about the extreme levels of air pollution in this metropolis because of their dependence on coal fired power plants. As part of efforts to combat air pollution, Belgrade has launched an innovative initiative called “liquid trees.” These are photo-bioreactors containing water and microalgae which have been proven to reduce greenhouse gas emissions effectively while producing clean oxygen via photosynthesis.

But, what’s a “Liquid Tree”?

Despite not being actual trees made up of leaves or wood, one “liquid tree” can replace two mature trees that are at least 10 years old or even 200 square meters’ worth of lawn area! This makes them excellent for filling urban spaces where conventional tree’s cannot be planted.

    With their unique and futuristic design, these microalgae bioreactors absorb CO2 from the atmosphere through photosynthesis and convert it into oxygen as well as biomass. It’s a massive advantage against the regular trees and greenery because they’re unable to match their effectiveness. In addition, the liquid trees are made to function as benches in the city and have a power outlet for charging mobile phones at bus stations.

During their podcast, “Green Revolution,” journalism students Javier Planas and Kenya Barcus talked about how essential and efficient these liquid trees are. Highlighting the positive and the negative sides of liquid trees in the city of Belgrade.

It also featured an infographic that visually explains what liquid trees are and the benefits they offer.

liquid trees

The overall benefits of Liquid Trees in Belgrade

Incorporating liquid trees into urbanized areas has the potential to revolutionize the way we approach sustainability in cities. By providing a new solution to combat air pollution, liquid trees can help create healthier and more livable cities. Belgrade’s use of liquid trees serves as an interesting example of how cities can take big actions to reduce their environmental impact and improve the quality of life for their citizens.

Overall, liquid trees offer a unique and innovative solution to air polluted cities. With their efficiency and versatility, they can potentially transform the way we think about smart cities. Through education and awareness, more cities can embrace this concept in the future and work towards creating a more sustainable world.

Javier Planas

Futuro periodista y publicista con pasión por crear una sociedad más responsable socialmente. He estado perfeccionando mis habilidades en comunicación, marketing y redacción para ayudar a impulsar un cambio positivo en el mundo.

Kenya Barcus

My name is Kenya Barcus and I am an Erasmus student studying abroad at Universitat de Abat Oliba CEU. At my home university, Western Kentucky University, I am a double major in Broadcasting and Spanish, and am continuing my Communications classes while abroad.