A Look at How Biotechnology is Improving the Environment

Biotechnology is improving the environment everywhere and should be a priority in environmental efforts. From biofuels to reducing food wastage, biotechnology advances are making life better for everyone.

Biofuels

Unfortunately, they’ve not turned into the panacea we were all hoping to see. However, their use will still help curb harmful emissions from fossil fuels until the switch to totally renewable energy, which is planned for 2035 in the United States. Biofuels don’t produce as many greenhouse gases as fossil fuels, which makes them both an effective placeholder and bridge to a future without fossil fuels. Additionally, turning to biofuels will benefit farmers because there will be a demand for their crops other than as food. As automobiles move inexorably toward both an all-electric and/or hydrogen fuel cell future and autonomous driving, biofuels could also bridge the gap between current methods of generating electricity and a future of solar power, wind power, and similar advanced technologies.

Cover Crops

You plant cover crops to protect the soil of your farm, control weeds, and provide little food for pests. In addition to reducing erosion, such crops also increase the soil’s water retention and biodiversity. They also increase the nitrogen content of the soil naturally so that you can reduce your use of nitrogen-heavy fertilizers.

These crops consist of legumes like peas, crimson clover, and several kinds of beans or nonlegumes that include rye, triticale, and barley. You can put them into your crop rotation schedule, which will both protect your farm and increase your crop yields.

Less Waste

One in three pieces of fruit or vegetables winds up in the garbage in the United States. That could be from people being irresponsible with fruits and vegetables, the material spoiling en route to its destination, or from crop diseases and/or pests. Modifying the crops to be hardier helps everyone. Estimates are that the world will need to double food production by 2085 to keep pace with the ever-expanding population of the Earth. Most of that growth will be outside of North America, which is experiencing population contraction, but it will still need to happen to prevent the starvation of millions, if not billions, of people. Having hardier crops both during and after harvest just makes sense.

Microbes

One way that microbes are useful to the environment lies in improving photosynthesis in plants. That’s the process whereby plants take in carbon dioxide, produce food for themselves, and release oxygen into the air. A “rubisco” is a specific enzyme inside a plant’s chloroplasts. E. Coli is a bacteria that also metabolizes carbon dioxide. By using E. Coli to reinforce the photosynthesis of certain plants, scientists can thereby increase the oxygen being released into the air, which is beneficial in a world with an ever-increasing population.

From creating drought-resistant crops to breeding heat-resistant cattle, biotechnology plays a part. Because it’s a useful tool, we shouldn’t ignore either its effectiveness or its helpfulness in our quest to make the world a better place for each of its more than 8 billion inhabitants.