In 2009, about 31.3 billion tones of carbon dioxide (CO2) are emitted from various human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels. China, USA and Russia are the biggest emitters of carbon dioxide globally. In Malaysia, more than 100 billion kilogram carbon dioxide emission from transportation sector is expected in 2010. As a result of increasing level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the earth surface is exhibiting increased temperature level that will result to global warming.
To overcome this problem, many efforts have been done to reduce global warming. One of the efforts is through the use of biotechnology in various human activities especially industrial processes. Biotechnology is a field that utilizes living things or their products, for example microorganism, animal and plant cells, or enzyme to synthesize, degrade or transform matters into desired products.
According to the report from WWF Denmark, the use of biotechnology in industrial processes has a potential in reducing about 2.5 billion tones carbon dioxide emission every year. This reduction surely will help to reduce or combat global warming.
Some examples of biotechnology application in reducing carbon emission are:
o Carbon capture using plants and microbes
- Plants can be genetically modified so that they can capture more carbon in the atmosphere and retain it in inaccessible form when they die (more efficient Rubisco enzyme involved in carbon sequestration by plants during photosynthesis).
- Biotechnology can enhance the ability of microorganism in the ocean to take up carbon from the atmosphere and retain it permanently in the deep ocean.
o Biomass for fuel production.
- Plants can be genetically modified in order to contain more material easily converted to clean energy.
- Genetically modified microorganism can be used in industrial processes as the sources of biomass energy.
o Collection and utilization of biogas from waste material (e.g methane and carbon dioxide from sewage and municipal solid waste).
o Biotransformation of waste material into other bio-based products. This process will reduce carbon dioxide emission up to 65 million tones.
o Production of bioethanol through fermentation of sugar is possible to partially substitute fossil fuels, thus reducing carbon dioxide emission.
o Biotechnology can be used in chemical industries that are currently using fossil fuel based feedstock.
o Biotechnology is used in the production of bio-plastic, less energy and resources are consumed and greenhouse gas emissions are reduced.
o Enzyme used in detergent help to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Studies show that carbon dioxide emissions can be reduced by 100 gram per wash.
By focusing on some aspects such as improving efficiency in industrial processes, replacing fossil fuel with biofuel and developing closed loop system in order to destroy waste, biotechnology in various activities and industries will help improving the economy without damaging the environment for the better future.
I do agree that biotechnology have much potential in order to reduce the climate change. But, let’s see the other view of the effect of biotechnology like biohazard which can cause harm to human health. Due to much of application like being used to solve some of environmental problems and provide benefits to various sectors, I believe that biotechnology also do have a negative impact.
ReplyDeleteBiotechnology do have negative impacts. But do you know that Biosafety Act was enacted in 2007 in Malaysia? This act was enacted to regulate the release, importation, exportation and contained use of living modified organisms, and the release of products of such organisms, with the objective of protecting human health and the environment.
ReplyDeleteSo, is it right to say that we are on the right track of utilising biotechnology in making Malaysia A greener nation in the future?
ReplyDelete