Genetically Modified Tobacco Plants Turn Red Around Land Mines

Now, here’s a case where genetic modification is actually a good thing: scientists have developed a tobacco plant that turns red when it detects nitrogen oxide leaks from landmines. It takes about ten weeks for the plants to change color. The plants will also help researchers determine whether an area has been successfully cleared.

From Mail Online:

The tobacco plants has been chosen because it is hardy, easy to grow and has wider leaves.

UN and landmine clearance groups are watching the tests with interest.

Aresa chief executive Steen Thaarup said: ‘This could be an efficient and economic way of clearing mines.

‘There is irony in using tobacco for this - it could end up saving lives for once.’

Becky Maynard at the No More Landmines charity in London, which raises funds to clear mines, said the plants would be a useful tool but communities would still rely on engineers to physically remove them.

There an estimated 80million landmines buried worldwide, covering 120,000 square miles.

Awesome. Natural solutions for manmade problems FTW! This could keep tobacco farmers in business even if they wanted to stop fueling the cigarette death machine, which is another plus.

Link [Mail Online]
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

Let There Be Organic Tobacco: Smokers Deserve Healthy Cancer Sticks

Environmental Graffiti got in a snit about greenwashing by the tobacco industry:

The cigarette industry knows that there are smokers who can’t kick the habit, but still want to go green. Recently, roll your own cigarettes have been promoted as a more eco friendly, cleaner alternative to regular smokes. That’s not the case, however, as roll your own cigarettes were recently found to have more chemicals than regular cigarettes.

Other companies are rolling out organically grown cigarettes. While this tobacco isn’t doused in pesticides during its growth, the previously mentioned problems still apply. So what’s a green smoker to do? Nothing.

I’m not going to defend the greenwashing by tobacco companies, but is it realistic to expect everyone to stop smoking for the benefit of the environment? Call me a cynic, but my guess is that I have a better chance of being elected President in November than that happening. Smoking tobacco is not going anywhere and if we really want to save the world we need to figure out a way to give people their cancer sticks without destroying the rain forest in the process. Smokers should be able to buy minimally processed, chemical free Fair Trade tobacco.

Tobacco companies should be called out for their bullshit greenwashing, but at the same time they should be encouraged to actually get a handle on the environmental impact of their business. If we can get the tobacco industry to get on the bandwagon maybe we’ll have luck in convincing the Drug Cartels to green up their product line. A guy can dream can’t he? (Note: I don’t smoke cigarettes, just the random shisha)

Link [Environmental Graffiti]