No need for streetlights in the future because our trees WILL be streetlights?

[Frank Varro]

There is still work to do, but according to some researchers, it appears we may be able to make trees emit light, while absorbing CO2, with less power used then currently needed. 

A future where trees are streetlights?  Sounds like a job for an LA!

http://gizmodo.com/5689608/neon-trees

[Les Ballard]

yes u doctor tree rna to produce hi energy bioluminescence like a squid but then tree may grab passing pedestrains with branches like the giant peach lol

[Rob Halpern]

Using gold as an energy source. Makes perfect sense.

[Ben Yahr]

Gold is currently used in nearly all electric devices.

[Rob Halpern]

Do you think in amounts comparable to coating trees’ leaves sufficiently to illuminate streets?

[Tosh K]

nanoparticles, not bad.

so can they make them Dark Sky compliant?

[Frank Varro]

They aren’t coating the leaves with gold, as at that point the trees would not be able to absorb CO2, and die, and it wouldn’t be any different than putting out gold panels.

They are infusing leaves with a small amount of gold “nanoparticles” (particles of less than 100 nanometers) it behaves differently than gold, and is already used for things like stained glass. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colloidal_gold )

[Rob Halpern]

Sounds scientifically interesting, but not in the long term interest of tree health. Messing with photosynthesis to lose its dark cycle does not sound sustainable.

[Thomas J. Johnson]

This is the “tree” they are referring to… Bacopa caroliniana… an aquarium plant…

It seems that they’ve got a long way to go before the London Plane Trees of NYC start glowing at night… thank God.
Plus, the trees would need to be evergreen otherwise you’d lose all of your nanoparticles of gold each fall, though it would encourage fall cleanups as people scurry for the annual gold rush… leaf smelting becomes new urban tradition… filling the air with, er, um, carbon… granted LSD usage amongst teens would drop as a result of living in a constant designer-induced hallucinogenic state, in which trees glow, sidewalks move and buildings breath…

Here’s an urban design project from school in which I used photovoltaic “trees” along the sidewalk as streetlights and planted real trees in the bio-swale median…

In reality, if you want to illuminate walkways, why not ILLUMINATE WALKWAYS!? Sidewalks are flat expanses, very capable of absorbing energy and releasing it at night. Why not pave them in gold and nano-umpa lumpas and make those babies glow at night!? Now you can really see where you’re going… but be careful not to step on the umpa lumpas, they are people too… all be it very very tiny people… maybe we need nano-soled shoes that perfectly interact with the paving surface in order to have minimal impact on the umpa-lumpa populations who make our glowing walkways possible… ah, perfect harmony…

OK, too much coffee man over and out.

[Trace One]

It’s ok, I’ll just walk in the dark.

hee.

[Thomas J. Johnson]

Gov’t issued LED headlamps for everybody!! It’s the new GLOW-Bama Economic Illumination plan!

[Amy Verel]

Uh oh, does this mean all ISA arborists would automatically have to get the Utility Worker Certification? 😛

[Rob Halpern]

No, no… forget gold nano-particles on the sidewalk. Paul Simon developed the answer years ago: diamonds on the soles of your shoes

[Kirsten]

What about the light pollution of the stary night sky? You city folk in the states may not be well acquainted with the stary nights because you can’t see those twinkly wonders when you’re surrounded by lots of light bulbs. Here in NZ, especially in Tekapo we’re trying to ensure that all artificial light is directed downwards to the street where it is needed, not up up into the universe where it is wasted. Somehow I can’t imagine trees with giant covers over them to reflect lights downwards like we do with street lamps. But what if only the trunk glowed, not the leaves? or maybe they could glow a red colour which is less polluting…

[Les Ballard]

you can easily build the bioluminescence into a lichen that is spread on the slabs as of course noone will want to walk the streets and you need to repress the growth of grasses and weeds. As for light pollution, I feel sure I once read in a paper (so it must be true) the growing electric light pollution of our cities is what attracted the UFO reports of the 50’s and 60’s including mothman. With glowing pavements and trees it is certain that no-one will want to walk the streets in case they meet mothman and so at a stroke drive indoors the red light trade.

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