I recently watched this TED talk entitled How to Grow Fresh Air. It has significant implications for our existing buildings that have poor air quality and for our new buildings that are being built to super-tight standards. If the power goes out and we are relying on our HRV’s and our ERV’s to bring us our healthy air Kamal Meattle says that we can rely on these three house plants to sustain us:

1. Areca Palm  (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens) – Turns CO2 into O2 during the daytime
2. Mother-in-law’s tongue (Sansevieria trifasciata) – Turns CO2 into O2 during the night time

3. Money plant  (Epipremnum aureum) Removes – VOC’s