http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/10/21/sweeping-study-claims-that-rising-temperatures-will-sharply-cut-economic-productivity/
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A study conducted by the University of Washington found that warming ocean temperatures off of the coast of Washington have been releasing bubble plumes of methane that was once in an "ice" form a third of a mile below the surface. Luckily, the bubbles are at such a level before and after they release that they do not reach then surface very often. Unfortunately, this poses another problem. Marine microbes have been converting this methane into carbon dioxide, lowering the area's oxygen content and increasing acidity.
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/world-on-a-plate/2015/oct/07/scientists-find-gene-that-makes-plants-more-carefree-under-climate-stress
http://www.cell.com/current-biology/abstract/S0960-9822(15)00957-4?_returnURL=http%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0960982215009574%3Fshowall%3Dtrue As our world population is constantly growing and expanding, there are a number of problems that are going to become more apparent, especially in regards to food. With a growing population, there is going to be less available land, more mouths to feed, and this growing population has more of a potential to have a negative environmental impacts. All of these issues contribute to food insecurity, and contribute the need for more resilient crops. Plants that are under stress currently mutate and cause more photosynthesis, which released "reactive oxygen species", or toxins. This causes the plants to fail and die. The SP1 gene, which is contained in every plat, controls the proteins that carry out photosynthesis. Paul Jarvis and his co-researchers have been able to use the SP1 gene in order to slow this photosynthesis process, and therefore are more resilient in certain environmental conditions, such as during a drought. While this research is still preliminary, it is a beacon of hope for the future, and even in present conditions. This ability to use an already present gene may be able to solve current and potential food insecurity. This is an important step that could be used in response if global warming continues to occur at a rate it is.
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March 2016
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