At a Glance

Amsterdam has a serious air pollution problemDesigner created Tree Wifi, a birdhouse that offers free Wi-Fi when air pollution levels fall.

Amsterdam has figured out how to kill two (or three) birds with one stone, so to speak.

The Netherlands' capital has a serious air pollution problem. In , it was given a D+ ranking for air quality. The poor grade is attributed to the city's failure to implement a low emissions zone for private vehicles. In fact, from an independent Dutch NGO found that 11 places in Amsterdam exceeded the air pollution limit set by the European Union.

Designer Joris Lam came to the rescue by devising a clever high-tech solution that offers an added benefit to residents and visitors. He designed tree birdhouses that light up and emit free Wi-Fi when air pollution levels fall to a healthy level.

Tree WiFi

So-called by offering free Wi-Fi when everyone pulls together to improve air quality.

Lam noted that while many Amsterdam residents are well aware of this pollution problem, they may be less aware of how it impacts them directly because it's invisible.

"I wanted to make something that measures air pollution locally and also makes the issue visible in an understandable, human-centric way," Lam told CNN.

Getting Consumer Ready

At a cost of approximately $500 per unit, not everyone can afford to place one on their favorite tree. However, according to The Atlantic City Lab,

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By September, Lam and his colleagueswill roll out a definitive model and distribute five units to the neighborhoods with the worst air pollution in Amsterdam. Their bigger goal is to have one on every street in Amsterdam and beyond.

“Of course, our grand goal is to go global,” Lam told The Atlantic. “[But] this is something we’re doing for the citizens. ... I really want to let the people decide where this should go next.”

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