Could superpowered plants be the heroes of the climate crisis?
GuardianSEP 2023
Scientists Engineer Plants to Capture More Carbon
Above: A close up of a plant in a greenhouse. Image copyright: Unsplash
The Spin
Narrative A
This is a game-changing approach to addressing climate change and food security. The McG cycle successfully doubles carbon capture without increasing water demand, creating a win-win solution for both environmental and agricultural challenges. Enhanced lipid production opens doors to sustainable biofuel development while boosting crop yields.
Narrative B
The promising laboratory results may not translate to real-world applications, given the significant unknowns. Arabidopsis is merely a lab weed, not an actual crop, and field conditions present challenges that are absent in controlled environments. The carbon benefits could vanish if lipids oxidize after plant death.
Narrative C
To avoid increasingly dangerous weather, it's important to drastically reduce carbon dioxide emissions through reduced use of fossil fuels. Promising ideas like mineral weathering on land and sea, or using algae, deserve urgent exploration. Many solutions exist, but lasting change requires both innovation and a willingness to embrace a future with less CO2, rather than artificially forcing the environment to adjust to unsustainable human consumption.
Metaculus Prediction
Editor's Note
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