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Monday, 09/05/2016 11:36
Earth Day in 2016 is about embracing the incredible technologies that are empowering the most widespread move toward sustainable living we’ve seen to date. Earth Day has been recognized since the modern environmental movement in 1970. This national day was founded by Gaylord Nelson, a U.S. Wisconsin senator, regarding the fact there were no legal and/or systems in place to protect the environment, “as a way to force this issue onto the national agenda.” Read more about the full history of Earth Day as explained by the EPA, here.
Kate Hall, managing director of the Council for Biotechnology Information, explains Earth Day, how the environment is changing and the sustainable role of biotechnology in the processes.
“In communities around the globe folks are still cleaning up litter, planting trees, and encouraging their neighbors to recycle, but Earth Day in 2016 is also about embracing the incredible technologies that are empowering the most widespread move toward sustainable living we’ve seen to date.
There are solar panels on roofs across America. The fully electric Tesla is one of the most desirable cars on the planet. Wind power is helping to fuel a renewable energy revolution. Houses are using battery packs to stay off the grid. And genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are helping to create a new era of sustainability in agriculture and food production.”
We encourage you to check out the full article, posted on our Forbes blog.
This article by Marshall Matz, specialty expert in global food security at OFW law in Washington DC, also helps explain climate smart, sustainable agriculture. “With the increase in food production to feed the growing population, the environment comes under more severe threat. Biotechnology allows farmers to produce more food on existing farmland. It allows farmers to use less water (drought- resistant crops), to use less pesticide (insect-resistant crops), and to plough less (herbicide-resistant crops) thereby reducing soil erosion, water pollution caused by run-off, and the use of fossil fuels, therefore reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”
We hope this answers your question. If you have any additional questions, please ask!