Climate Change: #SolvedByCRISPR
Written by Hailey Tapia, Spring 2022 Editorial Intern at Berkeley Pharma Tech.
“Anyone else getting bored of all this climate change junk? I mean, come on…what can one person realistically do about it? #NotMyProblem”
That was the first thing Peter the Polar Bear saw on his Critter feed one morning. His eyes immediately darted to the upper left corner in search of the poster, landing on a young man’s selfie alongside the username @CharlesLife. Figures, he thought. The humans tend to be like that, all pessimistic and what have you.
Often, when the humans talked about climate change, their words fell on deaf ears. Why? Because it was thought of as “too big” rather than “too little” of a problem that one human being could tackle. And so nothing got done; humans kept burning coal, using fossil fuels to satisfy their energy needs and driving up carbon dioxide levels.
The animals had seen it all unfold before their very eyes. Article after article, Critter post after Critter post, the humans would express disinterest in the fight against climate change, for they believed it was out of their hands. In fact, Peter had come across so much indifference from the humans, he could probably count the participants in the climate change project on one paw.
But Peter believed this resulted from a misunderstanding — an underestimation of the power of trees. Anyone familiar with these powerful carbon capture agents would have optimism for the future of the planet. And one of those individuals, Perrie the Polar Bear, just so happened to be walking toward Peter.
“You’ve been seeing all their posts too, huh?” she said upon arrival. Perrie disappointedly flashed her phone, on which there was yet another Critter post from a climate-disengaged human.
Sighing, Peter began, “I just can’t believe how little they believe in this stuff. I mean, they cast climate change aside because they don’t know how feasible it is to fix. All it takes is some trees!”
Perrie nodded vigorously in response. “Exactly! You gotta look at it like this: after the math’s done, one planted redwood tree will suck up the carbon emissions made by a single human in their lifetime. Now,” she held up both paws, “if ten trees were planted, that’s carbon capture for ten humans. And what if two billion people participated in the project? That’s enough personal carbon capture for two billion humans!”
Those were certainly big numbers, but to Peter, the math added up. How any human could not see that was beyond him.
“It’s completely doable, Perrie! We can really save the planet one tree at a time, but I think having all the humans on board is another story.”
The two stood in silence for a moment, mutual in agreement yet unsure how to approach the situation. It was then that Peter and Perrie felt their phones buzz and come alight. One of the most popular tree lovers on Critter had just posted, unsurprisingly amassing thousands of likes within those few moments.
Then, practically in unison, the pair exclaimed, “Critter!” Using the platform was a no-brainer. The animals could use it to disseminate this message of feasibility — that no one problem is too big for humans as long as they put their mind to it.
But that is the thing: polar bears and the rest of the animals do not go to school, so even though they try to stay current with news of the humans on Critter, they neither study science nor are able to harness it for the global good. They also rely completely on the humans when it comes to science, making their role in combating climate change purely informational, not contributory.
However, the animals do their best to spread the news, as the news raises the animals’ understanding. Their communications help people develop respect for trees in general, but especially redwoods, because of their prowess of carbon capture. And getting this word out to the humans would not be possible without the tree-loving animals.
Oh, the tree lovers. Their photos next to redwoods have been taking Critter by storm, helping raise awareness of and appreciation for the trees. And one particular animal influencer has practically every animal talking about him. He is so suave and handsome; in fact, he will be featured in our NFT collection and serve as the spokesmodel for everyone in the jungle. The polar bears know who it is going to be, but can you make a guess? Post your comment below! 👇
Follow our Medium page to learn more about what’s happening on Critter and about the NFT project that is brewing among the tree lovers!
About Berkeley Pharma Tech
Based in Silicon Valley, Berkeley Pharma Tech is a biotechnology incubator for today’s young scientists. We are making strides toward medical revolutions through a variety of avenues, including biomedical research, cryptocurrency engineering, and software development. Our goal for the CRISPR project is to create a cleaner, more vibrant environment for the next generation, with net zero — a state of balance between the amount of greenhouse gas emissions and their removal from the atmosphere — being a focal point. For more information about the CRISPR project and Berkeley Pharma Tech, visit our website or any of our social media channels below.
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