There are many different possibilities and methods of changing the outcome of climate change, not least ones that we can help with ourselves. It is released now, however, that there is a wide range of available genetic fixes we can implement as companies to sway the tide in our favour:
A cure for coral
Scientists from the University of Texas have recently identified a gene in a species of coral which is activated when it becomes heat-stressed. The warmer waters resulting from climate change caused this coral to expel the algae they depend on for energy (in a process called bleaching) which leads to mass coral decline. They believe the gene is present in many coral species, and hope to attempt to use it to detect stressed coral before the bleaching occurs - this allows them to prioritise the conservation of this species.
Climate-friendly cows
Using selective breeding, researches have made cows more environmentally friendly - the amount of methane produced by them is influenced by the cow's genetic makeup, in the rumen. The University of Adelaide says we can breed the cattle so that we select for those that have the genes to permanently produce less methane - something that is a major contributor to global warming.
CO2-smart plants
Scientists in California are attempting to develop an "ideal plant" that can help slow global heating - it is designed so it can absorb carbon dioxide from the air and deposit it in roots as a carbon-rich, cork-like substance that is called suberin (this is resistant to decomposition, which allows efficient, long-term storage of CO2 underground).
Reinforced rice
The University of Copenhagen last year identified a gene that makes rice resistant to both floods and droughts. This works by the leaf surface becoming coated in wax crystals, which repels water. This either repels water loss by evaporation, or in a flood it will retain a thin layer of gas for a few days, which prevents the rice from drowning as it also repels water. The aim is to manipulate the gene to increase long term flood tolerance.
Bacteria for biofuel
In 2018, those in the National University of Singapore discovered a strain of bacteria capable of converting plant matter into biobutanol. Biobutanol is a biofuel that can be used in car engines instead of petrol - the researchers are genetically engineering the bacteria to make biobutanol conversion more efficient.
Cedrec's take
These new developments aim to "cure" the climate crisis we are currently in but without bold policy changes across the world on agriculture, transport and manufacturing, even if all those great ideas were widely implemented, they might not "fix" the climate. We would love to see new technologies implemented as part of a greater action to reduce the release of greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere, stop the loss of land and biodiversity as well as curb the pollution to air, water and land.
