What if I told you that there was something that we could be doing to curtail the spread of COVID-19. Something obvious. Not at all intrusive. A solution that’s actually been around for thousands of years. Would you be interested in hearing about that? I sure would.
So I’ll let Fast Company explain:
“In China, it was called ‘qi,’ the symbol for health. In Egypt it was called ‘ankh,’ the symbol for eternal life. For the Phoenicians, the reference was synonymous with Aphrodite—the goddess of love and beauty. These ancient civilizations were referring to copper, a material that cultures across the globe have recognized as vital to our health for more than 5,000 years.
When influenzas, bacteria like E. coli, superbugs like MRSA, or even coronaviruses land on most hard surfaces, they can live for up to four to five days. But when they land on copper, and copper alloys like brass, they die within minutes. ‘We’ve seen viruses just blow apart,’ says Bill Keevil, professor of environmental healthcare at the University of Southampton. ‘They land on copper and it just degrades them.'”
The reason for this is that cooper is highly conductive, comprised of electrons that are constantly moving back and forth in a frenetic frenzy, so much so that microbes can’t stick to them for longer than four hours. Which begs the question: if Copper works so well and it’s positive effects have been known for so long why aren’t our buildings covered with it? Why isn’t copper gracing every door knob, every counter top, every surface known to man?
One could probably guess the answer. The usual suspects: cheaper materials and changes in taste over time. And that was all well and good up until now. After all, who am I to argue with aesthetics and architecture. But now that a global pandemic has landed on our doorstep what excuse do we still have to continue living in oblivion? As I like to say, “ignorance isn’t bliss, it’s the reason we miss.” And right now what we’re missing out on is a chance at a healthy and productive society. A chance at a return to normalcy anytime soon.
So, what we need, now more than ever, is an equivalent version of the Midas touch. A way to blanket the world, not in gold, but rather in copper. All in one fell swoop.
Obviously, there’s no technological way to do that so what we really need is a metaphorical Midas touch. A real-time commitment to understanding the value of copper and reimagining how we can best put its unique skill set to use as soon as possible. Perhaps we could direct various industries to produce more copper based products as part of the Defense Protection Act. Or maybe it’s just something that we can encourage architects to use going forward as a good design principle. But either way it’s become clear, at least to me, that copper ought to be an integral part of our society. And until that happens I’ll be resigned to singing the copper blues.
Is covering the world in copper the Greatest Idea Ever?
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