Frustrated conservationists were unsure whether they could raise the additional funds. Philanthropist Allen has used some of the billions he made through the software giant to fund six foundations, including the Paul G. Allen Forest Protection Foundation. Starting this month, consumers will be able to buy a car designed to destroy smog as it is driven. Volvo's 2000 model S80 luxury sedans feature a special coating on their radiators. Called PremAir and developed by Engelhard Corporation, the coating converts ozone in the air that passes over the radiator into oxygen.
Ozone is the main component of smog and is linked to respiratory problems.
Tests have shown that S80s equipped with PremAir convert as much as 75 percent of the ozone that flows through the radiator into oxygen. The hotter and more polluted the air is, the more efficient PremAir becomes. The purification effect on hot days with high ozone levels can outweigh the ozone generated from the emissions of a modern car with catalytic conversion, Volvo says. Volvo is the first company to commercialize the PremAir coating on cars. The radiator coating went into commercial production in December 1999 and the first S80s equipped with PremAir radiators are arriving in Volvo showrooms worldwide this month.