Human efforts to abate human-created climate change are having an impact, potentially averting the worst-case scenarios. However, we still have our work cut out for us and biotech has a role to play, says a long-form piece published in the New York Times Magazine yesterday.
A temperature rise of 2-3 degrees Celsius by the end of this century is now seeming possible. This is not as bleak as some predictions, though it will still bring major disruptions to life as we know it, the article says. “The climate future looks darker than today but brighter than many expected not that long ago.”
Humanity is making progress in decarbonization efforts, as renewable energy becomes cheaper and policymakers react to voter concerns about the climate, says the piece. Though the progress is faster than most anticipated, it is “not nearly fast enough to avert real turbulence.” We have work to do.
We are also making progress in adapting. The article notes the work of Oxitec, which we’ve covered, to reduce the populations of disease-carrying Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. The expansion of these mosquitoes’ range due to warming temperatures is one of many threats to human health caused by climate change.
Other biotech mitigation measures include livestock that can withstand high temperatures and drought-resistant crops.
When it comes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, biotech can help by reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and by improving carbon sequestration.
As BIO explained in a recent letter to President Biden, these scientific solutions require policy backing.
“Our companies are constantly developing new products that need to find their way to the market, so we need to make sure that our regulatory system also fosters that,” BIO’s Erick Lutt told Bio.News.
