Non-Profit Aims to Combine Living "Smart Trees" and Direct-Air-Capture "Mechanical Trees" to Tackle Air Pollution in Phoenix

Phoenix, AZ, March 25, 2022 --(PR.com)-- A Nobel Prize winner is among the lauded scientific talent now working to implement the newest carbon-capture technology to reduce air pollution and develop the site of a former Phoenix landfill into a park-style setting filled with both living and 'mechanical' trees.

"Dr. Ricardo Valentini will be working directly with us to install his new TreeTalker technology in our first Waffle Forest project. We're waiting for approval from the City of Phoenix to reclaim an old landfill," said Ernest Lerma, founder and CEO of Waffle Forest. "We plan to start with 100 smart trees, and I envision 10,000 trees on the site when we're done. Not only will this clean the air, it will improve the lives of area residents by beautifying the neighborhood and creating a park where people can enjoy nature on a site where there's just wasteland now."

Currently serving as Director of the Division of Climate Impact at the Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Changes and a professor at University of Tuscia in Viterbo, Italy, Dr. Valentini received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 for his activities within the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. As Waffle Forest's chief scientific advisor, Dr. Valentini will train local talent to install and use his patented TreeTalkers.

"A TreeTalker is a small device mounted to each tree which measures its growth and general health and relays the information to a nearby data server every hour," Lerma explained. "TreeTalkers are able to reveal a tree's absorption of carbon dioxide, track its growth and the amount of water necessary to keep the tree healthy, and alert us if a tree is under attack from insects or fungi. Once the proper density of trees is reached, we'll be adding direct-air-capture devices like 'mechanical trees' to the site to make an even larger impact on air pollution."

Waffle Forest gets its name from the 15-by-15-foot-square footprints of each "smart tree" installation, filling wasteland with rows upon rows of trees in a waffle pattern. The forest will include mature desert trees such as mesquite, desert willow, southern live oak, and palo verde. Members of the public will be able to sponsor individual "waffles squares" within the forest for use as gifts or memorials.

"Once we receive City approval, the area including and surrounding the 19th Avenue Landfill will be revitalized by our Waffle Forest, bringing much-needed life to the community," said Lerma.

A South Phoenix native, Lerma grew up in a primarily low-income neigborhood rife with pollution. He envisions the first Waffle Forest as a welcoming and engaging sight for families living nearby, as well as for the greater Phoenix community. Waffle Forest plans to improve environmental, social, and aesthetic conditions in South Phoenix by combining two main strategies for the removal of carbon from the atmosphere: organically through photosynthesis, and technologically through direct-air capture.

"We're excited to be at the forefront of creating healthy environments for child development in South Phoenix, which can help prevent complications in cognitive and physical health in future generations," Lerma explained. "At the core of Waffle Forest is an advocacy for enhancement not only of the environment but also of intimate family relationships and crucial developmental stages of children, which impact the health of communities at large. Improving the environment in and around South Phoenix also will help reduce the socioeconomic disparity in living conditions there."

For more information, to learn about waffle sponsorship opportunities or make a donation, visit WaffleForest.org or email Ernest@WaffleForest.org. Waffle Forest is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation.