Could a mask for cows help tackle global warming?
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A team of students from the Royal College of Art (RCA) have designed a special mask for cows aimed at tackling global warming.
It's all part of a project set up by the Prince of Wales and industrial, architectural and product designer Sir Jony Ive in collaboration with the the RCA called the 'Terra Carta Design Lab', launched back in July 2021.
Students from the RCA were tasked with coming up with ideas which address the climate crisis and environmental damage that's currently affecting planet Earth.
One of the winning teams designed a face mask for cows that neutralises the methane they produce
There were 125 submissions in total, and four teams of current and former students from the college were chosen as winners. They'll each be receiving £50,000 to help them develop their ideas.
The winners included a group called Zelp who designed a wearable device for cows to neutralise their methane emissions. Methane is known to be one of the biggest contributors to global warming, with the average cow producing 250 to 500 litres of the gas each day.
Other winning designs included seed pods made from food waste, a device which collects particles from car tyres and a recyclable and chemical-free textile.
Methane is invisible, doesn't smell and is a greenhouse gas. It's a big contributor to global warming and has a more powerful warming effect than carbon dioxide. The gas is responsible for a third of current global warming caused by human activities.
Prince Charles visited the RCA to find out more about the winning designs including a device that collects wear from tyres
"We can all have good ideas. I find it reassuring, particularly facing the overwhelming challenge of climate change, that we can all contribute ideas that could evolve into valuable solutions," said Sir Jony Ive.
"The ingenuity and determination of these designers has produced some extraordinarily creative responses, and they now embark on the journey to turn these great ideas into practical solutions."
Four teams made up of current and former RCA students were picked as project winners
Prince Charles and Sir Jony visited the RCA on Wednesday for the opening of an exhibition showcasing the projects and they also met the four winners of the competition to hear more about their climate crisis solutions.
Now, we want to hear from you? If you could come up with an invention to help tackle climate change, what would it be? Let us know in the comments!
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