Carbon Dioxide Emissions And Global Warming

Between 2004-2014, carbon dioxide emissions increased at a shocking average rate of 2.5% annually.1 These carbon emissions come from a variety of sources such as homes, food production, and vehicle exhaust.2 The excess carbon in the atmosphere not only contributes to the greenhouse gas effect causing global temperatures to rise, but also has destructive effects on the environment such as extreme droughts, lowered biodiversity, and food source instability.3,4 In 2009, world leaders met in Copenhagen, Denmark to sign the Copenhagen Accord, stating that the yearly global temperature increase will be limited to two degrees Celsius.5 The possibility of maintaining the global temperature increase becomes less feasible as carbon emissions continue …show more content…
For example, the impact of longer roots on the soil has yet to be investigated. Additional research must be completed to evaluate the lasting effects of longer roots and the impact it will have on the environment and surrounding ecosystem. Our RNAi method can also be applied to additional plant species to increase the root length, with the only modification being the primers used in PCR and the siRNA that is injected into the cell.11 The downregulation of the UPB1 transcription factor in grass species, such as switchgrass and Miscanthus, can create faster-growing root systems to increase the production of biofuel.9 Farmers usually cannot harvest the grass after the first year due to short root systems, but if the roots were modified farmers could harvest more grass at a higher rate9. Modifying the grass would increase the yield of grass, thus making biofuel a more viable energy source. In addition, crops’ roots can be altered to determine whether longer roots will increase the fruit yield, thus countering the potentially economic issues posed by a decrease in plant