1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,000 Some 17 years ago, I became allergic to Delhi's air. 2 00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:08,000 My doctors told me that my lung capacity 3 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:10,000 had gone down to 70 percent, 4 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:11,000 and it was killing me. 5 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:14,000 With the help of IIT, 6 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:16,000 TERI, and learnings from NASA, 7 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:19,000 we discovered that there are three 8 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:21,000 basic green plants, 9 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:23,000 common green plants, with which 10 00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:24,000 we can grow all the fresh air 11 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:27,000 we need indoors to keep us healthy. 12 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:29,000 We've also found that you can 13 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:31,000 reduce the fresh air requirements 14 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:33,000 into the building, while maintaining 15 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:36,000 industry indoor air-quality standards. 16 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:38,000 The three plants are Areca palm, 17 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:42,000 Mother-in-Law's Tongue and money plant. 18 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:46,000 The botanical names are in front of you. 19 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:48,000 Areca palm is a plant which 20 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:52,000 removes CO2 and converts it into oxygen. 21 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:56,000 We need four shoulder-high plants per person, 22 00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:58,000 and in terms of plant care, 23 00:00:58,000 --> 00:00:59,000 we need to wipe the leaves 24 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:01,000 every day in Delhi, and perhaps 25 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:03,000 once a week in cleaner-air cities. 26 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:06,000 We had to grow them in vermi manure, 27 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:09,000 which is sterile, or hydroponics, 28 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:13,000 and take them outdoors every three to four months. 29 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:16,000 The second plant is Mother-in-law's Tongue, 30 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:18,000 which is again a very common plant, 31 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:20,000 and we call it a bedroom plant, 32 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:23,000 because it converts CO2 into oxygen at night. 33 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:28,000 And we need six to eight waist-high plants per person. 34 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:30,000 The third plant is money plant, 35 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:33,000 and this is again a very common plant; 36 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:36,000 preferably grows in hydroponics. 37 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:39,000 And this particular plant removes formaldehydes 38 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:40,000 and other volatile chemicals. 39 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:42,000 With these three plants, 40 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:44,000 you can grow all the fresh air you need. 41 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:46,000 In fact, you could be in a bottle 42 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:50,000 with a cap on top, and you would not die at all, 43 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:53,000 and you would not need any fresh air. 44 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:55,000 We have tried these plants at our 45 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:58,000 own building in Delhi, which is a 46 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:01,000 50,000-square-feet, 20-year-old building. 47 00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:05,000 And it has close to 1,200 such plants for 300 occupants. 48 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:07,000 Our studies have found that there is 49 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:11,000 a 42 percent probability of one's blood oxygen 50 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:13,000 going up by one percent if one stays indoors 51 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:16,000 in this building for 10 hours. 52 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:19,000 The government of India has discovered 53 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:21,000 or published a study to show 54 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:24,000 that this is the healthiest building in New Delhi. 55 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:27,000 And the study showed that, 56 00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:28,000 compared to other buildings, 57 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:30,000 there is a reduced incidence of 58 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:32,000 eye irritation by 52 percent, 59 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:36,000 respiratory systems by 34 percent, 60 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:37,000 headaches by 24 percent, 61 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:41,000 lung impairment by 12 percent and asthma by nine percent. 62 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:45,000 And this study has been published on September 8, 2008, 63 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:48,000 and it's available on the government of India website. 64 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:50,000 Our experience points to an 65 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:54,000 amazing increase in human productivity 66 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:57,000 by over 20 percent by using these plants. 67 00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:01,000 And also a reduction in energy requirements in buildings 68 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:07,000 by an outstanding 15 percent, because you need less fresh air. 69 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:08,000 We are now replicating this in a 70 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:11,000 1.75-million-square-feet building, 71 00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:13,000 which will have 60,000 indoor plants. 72 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:15,000 Why is this important? 73 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:17,000 It is also important for the environment, 74 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:18,000 because the world's energy 75 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:20,000 requirements are expected to grow 76 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:22,000 by 30 percent in the next decade. 77 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:23,000 40 percent of the world's energy is taken 78 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:25,000 up by buildings currently, 79 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:27,000 and 60 percent of the world's population 80 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:30,000 will be living in buildings in cities 81 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:34,000 with a population of over one million in the next 15 years. 82 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:36,000 And there is a growing preference for living 83 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:40,000 and working in air-conditioned places. 84 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:42,000 "Be the change you want to see in the world," 85 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:43,000 said Mahatma Gandhi. 86 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:44,000 And thank you for listening. 87 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:46,000 (Applause)