Good News for the Environment

Hi there! I've found a couple of articles about promising technological advancements that could greatly benefit the environment.

The fist is an article written by Kate Yandell titled Engineered Microbe Could Ease Switch to Grass. Researchers have discovered a new approach to converting switchgrass into ethanol that eliminated the need for the grass to undergo chemical treatment. Switchgrass is an ideal choice for creating biofuel since it is abundant and it is not a food source like other plants that have been chosen to be converted into ethanol (e.g. Corn). Even though this technology is not ready to be commercialized, the study highlights the potential of this emerging technology.

In other news, Ancient DNA Could Return Passenger Pigeons to the Sky.

I'm disappointed that the authors of this article did not examine the possible environmental consequences of bringing back a species that has been dead for roughly 100 years. If this animal were reintroduced into an environment where it has not been present in about 100 years would it be like introducing an invasive species? Has the ecosystem evolved to function without the presence of this organism since it's extinction? Would said evolved ecosystem be thrown off balance if this organism were reintroduced? Or would it go back to the way it was before this species went extinct? And the same questions apply for any other species that scientists may want to bring back that have been extinct for an even longer period of time

However I am excited for the other environmental benefits of this technological discovery. This same technology can be used to save endangered animal and  plant species from extinction and help boost their population into the safe zone.