Over the last decade, the topic of climate change has been top of mind for business leaders, elected officials, and everyday people alike. And while opinions about carbon emission levels and climate change very, many agreethat solving these global challenges will require a multifaceted approach.
Of the many promising solutions that have been proposed, one of the most appealing involves altering the DNA of plants to reduce carbon emissions. But exactly how viable is this proposed solution?
A Potential Secret Weapon in the Fight to Reduce Carbon Emissions
As part of the push to stifle climate change, some have suggested that creating massive skyscraper-esque direct air capture plants is the most viable solution. There are currently 19 such plants in operation around the globe, each of which is capable of capturing millions of tons of carbon dioxide per year. The downside is that building a single plant costs hundreds of millions of dollars.
While these facilities certainly have a role to play in the push toward net zero emissions, high costs and long construction lead times will negatively impact the efficacy of this carbon sequestration strategy. Fortunately, genetically modifying plants appears to not only be a viable solution, but it may also be far more cost-effective than constructing artificial carbon harvesting systems.
Plants already harvest carbon via photosynthesis and sequester it in the soil. By creating genetically modified plants, researchers hope to increase the carbon capture capacity of plants. Additionally, researchers want to engineer plants that grow longer roots so that they can deposit carbon deeper into the soil.
If scientists could increase plants’ carbon capture capacity by just two-fold, they could significantly reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and reduce carbon emissions. While it is too early to tell if genetically modified plants are the most viable method for combating climate change, the initial outlook is extremely positive.
