Plants and their techniques for adaption may hold the key to reversing the damage we have caused to this earth. New research out of the Salk Institute for Biomedical Sciences in La Jolla, CA has found a technique used in plants to minimize energy production during high stress. The study found that when plants were stressed (deprived of water, placed in high/low temperature, etc.), they were able to tell their energy production centers and slow the burn of valuable resources. Genes activated by stress were found to inhibit photosynthesis: a metabolic process used by plants to create energy from sunlight. While humans do not use photosynthesis for energy production, knowledge of these genes could help scientists create genetically modified (GM) plants purposefully designed to help fight climate change. If successful, scientists could design new species that may be able to help clear the air.

Now is the time for action and tomorrow is too late. Most policy change proposed across the globe, while well intentioned, is nowhere near enough. Scientists have been explicitly clear how urgent the issue is. In documents such as the IPCC and the Paris Climate Agreement, they have laid out extensive evidence to show what will happen if we don’t expedite our efforts. If science is successful, GM plants may find a place on the front lines, but even they will only be a piece of the puzzle. If you’re going to celebrate the earth this year, remember that she is fragile and we all play a role in keeping her as green, beautiful, and healthy as she can be.