If you’re conscious about how we’ve been treating Mother Earth the past few years, decades, centuries, measuring carbon emissions is something that you’ve probably looked into. There are a lot of tips out there on how you can keep track of your own carbon footprint and how you can slowly lessen it. It may sometimes require a huge lifestyle change and we also need a visible tool to help us do this and see how we can help our environment recover.
Designer: YeEun Kim
The Toad House is a device that looks like a cross between an air purifier and a smart speaker but is actually something you can use to monitor how much carbon emission you’re using when you’re at home and make the necessary adjustments. It is inspired by a Korean children’s song that talks about building a new house from an old one which can be a metaphor in how we can repurpose wasted energy.
The product description can be a bit vague on how the device can actually measure your carbon emissions but it says the interface at the top of the house is where you can check how much you’re already using. This is probably connected to the app on your smartphone where you set targets and also see the values of the various appliances and gadgets in your house. It also says that the wasted power from your devices can be stored and then used for wireless charging later on.
This is still a concept for now but if it eventually becomes a product, it would be interesting to see if a gadget like this can really affect how you use energy. Eventually, there can also be studies if it indeed lessens carbon emissions when you have a visual reminder of how much you’re using and leaving in your environment. Probably what’s needed now though is more education on how people can measure their carbon footprints, at least in their personal use.
