Surfaces at work

not a post about how many germs live in the keypad of your fax machine.

Not long ago I interviewed the Chief Environmental Officer (would that all CEO’s in the world could—poof!—be converted not just in title but in spirit as well…) for the City of Chicago, a guy named Sadhu Johnston.

The inspiring interview was part of my research for Van Jones’ forthcoming book on the opportunity within the green economy to lift people out of poverty at the same time we’re healing the planet, by mindfully creating and providing training for “green-collar” jobs.

Sadhu mentioned that one of Chicago’s plans is to have the greenest street (in the, um, world, is what he sed—not surprising given the list of green superlatives the City has already claimed, like largest LEED-certified building in the world, or most urban green roofs in the US…) and that photocatalytic cement will play a major role.

Now, I flat out don’t believe that technology will Save us. Neither one platinum bullet, nor an array of complementary technologies. Instead I believe, with ardor, that our mandate is to make major behavioral changes—such as becoming more local, community-reliant as opposed to self-reliant, and respectful of the imperative for diversity (to survive in the local sustainable community, we need one of everything—baker, seamstress, veterinarian, plumber—or better, two of everything, like on the Ark, in case one falls ill).

But this photocatalytic cement that Sadhu described sounded like some cool shit. He said it will filter the air 8 feet above the ground, drawing out pollutants and making it much cleaner for a pedestrian walking along there (providing, I guess, that said pedestrian is less than 8 feet tall), and is so reflective that at night streetlights require much less wattage.

So I looked it up. I found this article in WIRED (from 2005: color me behind the times! *Blush *)–which explains that the cement is coated with a thin layer of titanium dioxide. So “UV rays hitting the titanium dioxide trigger a catalytic reaction that destroys the molecules of pollutants, including nitrogen oxides, which are emitted in the burning of fossil fuels and create smog.”

The NYTimes also ran a piece (11/06!) on the famous Jubilee Church in Rome, built by Richard Meier, that was coated in the miracle substance—shown in the photo.

Now the EU is investing millions in its research and development. Ten years of testing there have shown that covering 15% of visible urban surfaces with it would enable about 50% reduction in pollution. First Europe, then … Chicago?! Will wonders never cease.

Thanks to Sadhu I’m envisioning brilliant white cities of the future staying cool and clean, every surface in sight coated, and working hard.