Using solar energy to drive photosynthesis, plants absorb over 100 gigatons of CO2 globally per year, sequestering a portion of the greenhouse gas pollution emitted by human activity in the durable cell walls that make up their bodies. These cell walls can serve as food for animals and people, renewable materials, and sources of bioenergy. I will explore how plants could be optimized for efficient CO2 uptake and carbon sequestration to enhance the health of natural ecosystems and human economies, using Pennsylvania as a test case for the smart application of science, policy, and economics to build the verdant and restorative fields and forests of the future.
