Making Smoke Stacks Blow Rings Can Help the Environment

Architects Bjarke Ingels and Jakob Lange have created the self-aware environmental art piece that the world doesn’t even know it needs: the Steam Ring Generator doesn’t stop at just emitting steam like the aesthetically pleasing smoke ring of its namesake, it also acts as a shame-generator aimed at letting the world know exactly what it’s done to the planet. For every ton of CO2 that the smokestack generates, the Steam Ring Generator emits a smoke ring from the plant’s chimney that signals to the surrounding population how bad its carbon footprint was that day.

The Kickstarter for the project states that the ideal place for the Steam Ring Generator is the notoriously design-efficient and environmentally-savvy city of Copenhagen. If the project gets the proper funding, then all the Danish citizens will have to do is look up to the sky and count the rings, and then look back down at their feet in silent shame and plan out their composting for the night. Check out the video of the Steam Ring Generator’s renderings below.

See more of Bjarke Ingels Group's work on their website and our previous coverage below.

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