“We need plants. Plants don’t need us.” Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) Associate Professor Ullas Pedmale utters those words early in the latest video from CSHL’s Cocktails & Chromosomes series. Consider them both a rallying cry and a reality check.
Greenhouse gas emissions are raising global temperatures, threatening our way of life. Plants love greenhouses. They also love carbon dioxide. However, increasing carbon dioxide emissions are a driver of climate change. And climate change is not good for agriculture. Why?
Well, for starters, droughts and flooding pose significant challenges for irrigation. Then there’s the fact that temperature changes upset symbioses between plants and animals. Imagine fewer pollinating insects and more unwanted pests. And then there’s what Pedmale said: “We need plants. Plants don’t need us.”
Press play to learn more about the relationship between plants and climate change. Then, check out how CSHL plant biologists use climate-control technology to future-proof plants.
CSHL will be back at Industry bar in Huntington, NY, next month for another installment of Cocktails & Chromosomes. Register now for the October 5 event with CSHL Associate Professor Camila dos Santos.