ENGLISH CLASS PORTFOLIO

GENETIC ENGINEERING’S IMPACT ON CLIMATE CHANGE

Genetic engineering is the process that alters the structure and nature of genes in human
beings, animals or foods using techniques like molecular cloning and transformation. In other
words, it is the process of adding or modifying DNA in an organism to bring about a great deal
of transformation. Recent discoveries in the last few years, regarding for example the Crispr
Cas 9 technology – that awarded its discoverers a Nobel Prize in 2020 – make it so that these
complex advancements opened a lot of doors (if we’re taking into account the infinite
applications of these technologies).

One of the most promising and relevant applications of genetic engineering is to use it as a tool
to fight climate change. This field of genetics has brought hope to a world with a changing
climate, in the sense that, theoretically we can enable organisms to adapt and eventually
reduce climate change’s impact on our planet. Such impacts include the worrying some of
carbon emissions, the rise of global temperatures and the increase in hunger situations in
areas already deeply affected by poverty. In this text, I will showcase some of the more
auspicious solutions that have been proposed and put into action by leading scientists
worldwide.

Although limiting the emissions of greenhouse gasses is a necessary course of action, scientists
are suggesting another solution: removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This climate
mitigation process is called carbon sequestration or carbon capture and it’s directed towards
all kinds of plants, with a particular focus on trees. The whole idea is rooted on photosynthesis
– the mechanism which plants use to turn carbon into breathable oxygen. Through gene
editing, it is possible to improve the efficiency of this natural method and with that, remove
larger quantities of carbon from the atmosphere. Genetic engineering could also be used to
grow longer, sturdier roots able to store carbon deeper underground.

The agricultural sector is one of the world’s biggest sources of climate- altering gases, the vast
majority of which comes from meat and dairy production. Cows are the most carbon-intensive
part of the food industry since cattle are responsible for 62 percent of agricultural carbon
footprint. This happens because cows are ruminants, meaning that their digestion undergoes a
process of fermentation which leads to the production of methane – a powerful greenhouse
gas that gets released into the atmosphere when they burp. Researchers have recently found
that cows can be selectively bred to be more environmentally friendly because it turns out that

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the amount of methane produced in their digestive process is influenced by the cow’s genetic
code. With that being said, it is indeed possible to reduce the impact of meat consumption, but
it is also essential that each individual reduces its quota of meat.

With the world’s population constantly increasing, agriculture fights to keep up with the food
demand. Rice plays an important role in this equation, considering that it sustains about 3
billion people. However, in recent years crops have been put in risk by the frequent floods and
droughts linked to climate change. In order to fight this situation, researchers identified a gene
that makes rice more resistant to this type of extreme event. It causes the leaf surface to
become coated in wax crystals, repelling water. During a drought this prevents water loss by
evaporation and in a flood, the way surface retains a thin layer of gas for a few days that
prevents the rice from drowning. Scientists now aim to manipulate the gene to increase long-
term flood tolerance.

As we all are aware, climate change’s impact extends to our oceans and puts at risk the
extraordinary biodiversity that they are known for. Endangered coral reefs definitely stand out
when talking about sea life distress due to its undeniable importance in the balance of multiple
ecosystems and role in the protection of coastline areas among endless other factors. The
identification of a gene that is activated when coral is heat stressed can provide a lot of useful
information on how to preserve this species. Warmer water as a result of climate change often
causes stressed coral to expel the algae they depend upon for energy in a process called
bleaching, leading to mass coral decline. Scientists hope to use the discovery of that gene to
detect stressed coral before bleaching occurs, allowing them to prioritize conservation of these
species.

It goes without saying that although genetic engineering seems like a simple solution to all of
our problems, it is also a very controversial topic. First of all, there is the moral and ethical
question of at what point it´s okay for humans to “play god” in a way. Do we even have the
right to alter nature, in the form that serves us best? This is an on-going debate between
scientists all over the world and both parties have extremely valid arguments. On one hand,
we can all clearly envision the million wonders and advantages these new techniques can
bring. On the other hand, most of this research and knowledge is fairly new and it’s impossible
to tell with absolute certainty what will be the long-term effects of something as daring as
messing with the genetic structure of living organisms.

Nonetheless, genetic editing remains one of the best bets we have in our fight against climate
change. The time is ticking, and action needs to be made as soon as possible. Fortunately,

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advancements in technology and science allows to stretch the limits of what we thought
possible, bringing hope for a greener tomorrow.

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