GLOBAL CHALLENGES

Genetically Modifying for Lower Carbon Footprints

Dave Greenfield | Date: 10-28-10 | Comments

One way to reduce carbon emissions�thereby alleviating the global warming crisis�could be as simple as planting specific crops. Scientists are working to engineer carbon-neutral sources of energy from plants such as tobacco to help pave the path toward a cleaner future.

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Genetically Modifying for Lower Carbon Footprints
Virtually every company, scientist and individual is looking for a way to reduce carbon footprints across the globe, and one new analysis suggests it's possible by genetically modifying many common plants. Naturally, technology like this could lead to fewer carbon emissions on a worldwide level, thus significantly impacting the global warming crisis.

Bioenergy Crops

Despite the debate that often surrounds genetic modification of food sources and other plants, study author Christer Jansson of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory said that by simply using the right kinds of plants, the carbon could be pushed underground for long-term storage purposes, leaving us with the clean air that is essential for everything we do. There are many different bioenergy crops to consider. The idea is to get a solid yield out of a carbon-neutral source of energy (as we already do from corn, soybeans and many other crops) while still getting the carbon storage that will help pave the path toward a cleaner future.

A Simple Process

Every plant uses photosynthesis to create the energy they need to grow. Through genetic modification, it's possible to enhance this process, thus allowing the new plants to store additional carbon. The key, however, is finding the right plants for the job. Perennial plants, at this point, seem to be most effective. Because their root systems are far larger than those of annuals, they're a stronger starting place than most of our typical crops. While tobacco plants have already been shown to be effective in this process, and the modifications should be fairly simplistic when it comes to other plants, it's going to take a bit of work to ensure this is a viable process.

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