Earth & Environment
Going for green: Biology for planetary sustainability
Our green planet is beginning to show a lot of signs of decay triggered by the demands of our modern lifestyle and constantly growing population numbers. It is our responsibility to try to balance these factors with a more sustainable way of life to keep our planet green. However, very often the proposed solutions are worse than the initial problems and trigger more damage. Focusing our efforts on technologies that take advantage of nature could be a more sensible approach to reach that aim.
With that purpose, we have envisioned a collection for our magazine content exploring biological solutions that could be applied to reduce our CO2 emissions, get rid of plastics that are currently not degradable, produce food in a more sustainable manner or produce energy, among others.
Image Credit: Ines Alvarez-Garcia
Guest Editors
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Guest Editor Andrew Tanentzap
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Senior Editor, PLOS Biology Ines Alvarez-Garcia
PLOS Biology
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PLOS Biology Dancing to a different tune, can we switch from chemical to biological nitrogen fixation for sustainable food security?
Our current food production systems are unsustainable, driven in part through the application of chemically fixed nitrogen. We need…
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PLOS Biology Why have we not yet solved the challenge of plastic degradation by biological means?
The invention of fossil fuel–derived plastics changed and reshaped society for the better; however, their mass production has created an…
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PLOS Biology The potential of biofuels from first to fourth generation
The steady increase in human population and a rising standard of living heighten global demand for energy. Fossil fuels account for more…
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PLOS Biology Is it realistic to use microbial photosynthesis to produce electricity directly?
It is possible to generate small amounts of electrical power directly from photosynthetic microorganisms—arguably the greenest of green…
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PLOS Biology Microbially mediated carbon dioxide removal for sustainable mining
The climate crisis and rising demand for critical minerals necessitate the development of novel carbon dioxide removal and ore processing…
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PLOS Biology Are bioplastics the solution to the plastic pollution problem?
We live our lives immersed in plastic pollution: a problem that is becoming more acute. Viable alternatives that can reduce plastic…
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PLOS Biology Save the planet with green industries using algae
We can use photosynthesis to capture carbon and make industries greener. Algae-driven carbon capture and manufacturing offer the potential…
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PLOS Biology Make it easier to be green: Solutions for a more sustainable planet
We urgently need solutions to make our use of the planet’s resources more sustainable and protect nature. A new collection of articles…