SCIENCE IN THE NEWS WEEKLY
Winners and Losers Under Climate Change
Some areas could find global warming beneficial. Countries that are cold right now could see very real benefits from a few extra degrees. Consider the Northern Sea shipping route, which runs through the Arctic waters north of Europe and Asia. Climate change could open the route earlier and keep it clear later.
In other environmental news, Duke University scientists are among those studying plants for biofuel. GrassRoots Biotechnology uses patented research methods to study plant genes. The goal, said company co-founder Philip Benfey, is to pinpoint ways to strengthen plants considered useful in biofuel production, such as switchgrass.
In a related development, new research "makes a pretty large leap forward" in the quest to make seaweed a viable biofuel. Researchers have engineered a bacterium that can break down and digest seaweed's gummy cell walls to yield ethanol and other useful compounds.
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