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The City Park That's Also a Giant Smog-Sucking Vacuum

In this episode of Upgrade, we check out Daan Roosegaarde's air-cleaning project, which is planned for installation in Beijing.

​China is in the midst of a massive industrial and economic revolution, which has required large expenditures of energy.

Although it is one of the world's leaders in ​green energy ventures, most of China's energy ​comes in the form of coal. We all know fossil fuels come with a hefty environmental price, and they have definitely left China's mega cities with ​a gnarly air pollution problem.

In Beijing, the majority of factories are located right on the outskirts of the city, often laying a blanket of thick grey smog in the air. This smog contains a dangerous class of particle known as ​PM 2.5 amongst other terrible things, and has lead to spikes in pulmonary diseases and other health issues among Beijingers.

In this episode of Upgrade, we head to the Netherlands to talk to Daan Roosegaarde, an artist who focuses on social design projects aimed at stirring up conversation. His latest project involves a giant ionic smog crushing vacuum that he wants to put in a park in Beijing so its citizens can enjoy clean air.