Genetic Engineering becoming pivotal weapon in war on emissions

Two recent breakthroughs in agricultural genetics demonstrate how genetic engineering is becoming an increasingly important tool in the struggle to reduce emissions.

In California, Arcadia Biosciences announces a new genetically-modified form of rice. The rice thrives on soil imbued with only half of the typical dose of greenhouse-guilty nitrogen fertilizer. As such, less needs to be used, resulting in nearly one ton of CO2 saved per acre.

Farmers living in areas with emissions cap-and-trade systems would be incented to use this rice to reduce their footprint and make money selling their certificates, now selling for $22/ton in European markets.

Across the country in St. Louis, researchers at Washington University announced that they have finished decoding the corn genome. The work was unveiled yesterday in the hopes that scientific researchers will be able to create super-corn that is either more nutritious, or more efficient for ethanol production.