Humankind has passed a remarkable environmental milestone: People now consume more of Earth's natural resources than the planet can replace.1 In light of this, pollution abatement technologies, coupled with development of renewable energy resources, seem destined to become big business during the 21st century.
What is unfolding is a multidisciplinary, biology-led wave of discovery and innovation, emanating from myriad collaborations of scientists who are working with what the environment has to offer--from microbes to plants to even the oceans themselves.
CLEARING THE AIR Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere where it, along with other greenhouse gases, contributes to global warming. Since the US Industrial Revolution began about 200 years ago, the amount of anthropogenic CO2 (the principal greenhouse gas) emitted to the atmosphere--primarily due to the expanding use of fossil fuels for energy--has risen from about 280 parts per million to 370 ppm, according to the ...
