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This makes me wonder - could trees be modified genetically to handle more CO2 in order to make this number lower? Could we, instead of trees, have huge walls ma

by d33 7y ago

This makes me wonder - could trees be modified genetically to handle more CO2 in order to make this number lower? Could we, instead of trees, have huge walls made of plants that would consume our CO2?

wollstonecraft 7y ago
We have been genetically modifying plants to maximize CO2 utilization for millenia.
- Retric 7y ago
  Plants try to minimize CO2 utilization becase it’s energy intensive. We could design something that stores more carbon, but with real tradeoffs as it would have less energy for other things.
ai_ia 7y ago
https://www.imnovation-hub.com/society/pollution-eating-moss/ https://www.imnovation-hub.com/society/pollution-eating-moss... This might be something you are referring to.
layoutIfNeeded 7y ago
Just use a bunch of these: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azolla_event https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azolla_event It worked 49 million years ago.
Zenbit_UX 7y ago
I believe the Californian Redwoods are very good at this but one of their main disadvantages is they take forever to grow in their native climate. Ironically, they grow much faster on the other side of the world (New Zealand) due to its wetter climate but the wood is not as hard due to this so they aren't useful in construction. Basically the ultimate carbon sync and useless for humans.
- pvaldes 7y ago
  Would be trivial to put a hothouse over it for the first years to mimick the humid forest environment. Could act also as water collectors and a sort of fire barriers for stopping flying embers also. Metallic mesh dissipates hot.
- Ericson2314 7y ago
  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redwoods_Forest,_Whakarewarewa https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redwoods_Forest,_Whakareware... neat! When I was young I used to wonder what redwoods would be like introduced outside their native range. Now, 15 years later, I know!
strainer 7y ago
You mean running a permanent experiment on the genetic diversity and interplay of forest species across the globe? Luckily such recklessness is unnecessary.
plainOldText 7y ago
An incredibly short sighted solution to an incredibly complex problem. Trees have been around for a very, very long time; much longer than we have. Complex evolutionary forces have shaped trees and forests into their current robust configurations. Trees are intimately connected with their ecosystems, and interact with their surroundings in both known and unknown ways. For example, it has been discovered recently that trees communicate with one another through chemical, hormonal and slow-pulsing electrical signals, including through the air, using pheromones and other scent signals [1][2] Mother nature is complex. We do not have enough understanding of her complexity, and neither enough computational power to reliably model and subsequently change diverse ecosystems. [1] https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-whispering-trees-180968084/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-whispering... [2] https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01C9116AK https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01C9116AK

by d33 7y ago

wollstonecraft 7y ago

We have been genetically modifying plants to maximize CO2 utilization for millenia.

Retric 7y ago
Plants try to minimize CO2 utilization becase it’s energy intensive. We could design something that stores more carbon, but with real tradeoffs as it would have less energy for other things.

ai_ia 7y ago

https://www.imnovation-hub.com/society/pollution-eating-moss/ https://www.imnovation-hub.com/society/pollution-eating-moss... This might be something you are referring to.

layoutIfNeeded 7y ago

Just use a bunch of these: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azolla_event https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azolla_event It worked 49 million years ago.

Zenbit_UX 7y ago

I believe the Californian Redwoods are very good at this but one of their main disadvantages is they take forever to grow in their native climate. Ironically, they grow much faster on the other side of the world (New Zealand) due to its wetter climate but the wood is not as hard due to this so they aren't useful in construction. Basically the ultimate carbon sync and useless for humans.

pvaldes 7y ago
Would be trivial to put a hothouse over it for the first years to mimick the humid forest environment. Could act also as water collectors and a sort of fire barriers for stopping flying embers also. Metallic mesh dissipates hot.
Ericson2314 7y ago
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redwoods_Forest,_Whakarewarewa https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redwoods_Forest,_Whakareware... neat! When I was young I used to wonder what redwoods would be like introduced outside their native range. Now, 15 years later, I know!

strainer 7y ago

You mean running a permanent experiment on the genetic diversity and interplay of forest species across the globe? Luckily such recklessness is unnecessary.

plainOldText 7y ago

An incredibly short sighted solution to an incredibly complex problem. Trees have been around for a very, very long time; much longer than we have. Complex evolutionary forces have shaped trees and forests into their current robust configurations. Trees are intimately connected with their ecosystems, and interact with their surroundings in both known and unknown ways. For example, it has been discovered recently that trees communicate with one another through chemical, hormonal and slow-pulsing electrical signals, including through the air, using pheromones and other scent signals [1][2] Mother nature is complex. We do not have enough understanding of her complexity, and neither enough computational power to reliably model and subsequently change diverse ecosystems. [1] https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-whispering-trees-180968084/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-whispering... [2] https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01C9116AK https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01C9116AK