“Tucked away in the most extreme nooks and crannies of the Earth are biodiverse galaxies of microorganisms — some that might help scour the atmosphere of the carbon dioxide mankind has pumped into it,” reports Grist:
One microorganism in particular has captured scientists’ attention. UTEX 3222, nicknamed ‘Chonkus’ for the way it guzzles carbon dioxide, is a previously unknown cyanobacterium found in volcanic ocean vents. A recent paper in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology found it boasts exceptional atmosphere-cleaning potential — even among its well-studied peers. If scientists can figure out how to genetically engineer it, this single-celled organism’s natural quirks could become supercharged into a low-waste carbon capture system.
Cyanobacteria like Chonkus, sometimes referred to by the misnomer blue-green algae, are aquatic organisms that, suck up light and carbon dioxide and turn it into food, photosynthesizing like plants. But tucked away inside their single-celled bodies are compartments that allow them to concentrate and gobble up more CO2 than their distant leafy relatives. When found in exotic environments, they can evolve unique characteristics not often found in nature…On an expedition in September 2022, researchers from the University of Palermo in Italy dove into the waters surrounding Vulcano, an island off the coast of Sicily where volcanic vents in shallow waters provide an unusual habitat — illuminated by sunlight and yet rich with plumes of carbon-dioxide. The location yielded a veritable soup of microbial life, including Chonkus.
A study found that most regulations designed to prevent climate change actually do not bring down greenhouse gas emissions, despite costing consumers and taxpayers money. Greenhouse gas emissions have fallen since 2005, even as the economy has grown. America reduced emissions more than any other major country, despite leaving the Paris climate accords.
Artificial intelligence is creating more effective, durable solar cells, which will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and produce more energy.
Agricultural robots are not only saving farmers time, but reducing greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the need for heavy, polluting farm machinery. Microsoft built data centers using wood to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Robots with artificial intelligence are spreading on Japanese farms. On some American farms, there are drones with artificial intelligence, and robots that use artificial intelligence to kill 100,000 weeds per hour. Scientists have developed tiny robots to repair damaged cells, and nanorobots to destroy cancerous tumors.
Robots replaced some fast-food workers after California increased the minimum wage for fast-food workers to $20 per hour, which many franchises just can’t afford. Thousands of fast-food workers lost their jobs due to the minimum wage hike.
