Kamal Meattle: How to grow your own fresh air is a TED talk by Kamal Meattle, an environmental activist in India. Kamal became allergic to the incredibly polluted air in New Delhi. Which is a problem, since he lives there. With the help of some researcher friends, Kamal found that with 3 species of plants, you can grow all the fresh air you need. In fact, he claims you could live in a stoppped bottle with these plants and not die from lack of air.
Kamal's speech is very short for TED talk standards, and it is totally worth your 4 minutes and 4 seconds. He doesn't seem comfortable talking in front of the audience, and his speech ends abruptly without much warning or segue (to the point of unintentional comedy: be the change you want to see in the world!). Nevertheless, the speech is very tightly organized, progressing linearly and logically, with beautiful pictures. The topic is incredible.
This was exactly the kind of information I was looking for 3 years ago, when I (rather paranoid) thought that the air in my apartment was too stale. My mother insisted that plants would kill me, because they release CO2. Which is true, and also proof that a little bit of knowledge can lead to massive misinterpretation about what is good or bad for you. I wonder if this could combat sick building syndrome. My mind won't stop moving--I digress. Fantastic talk.
