#using trees for light

By Aaron Chavez

December 3, 2017

Since the discovery of fire, humans have incorporated energy into every aspect of their lives. Now days energy is harnessed through electricity, not fire, but is no less important. Energy heats our homes and water, cooks our food, lets us see in the dark, and gets us from point A to B faster than ever before. The unfortunate truth to energy however, is one of greed and control. Right now we currently have more power plants than we need to power the world and yet there are people all over who lack electricity, 1.2 Billion according to The Washington Post. That is over 20% of the world’s population! I will set out to change that. I want to bring the light to darkness and give access to this life enhancing tool to everyone regardless of their economic status. The answer lies with the very organisms that produce the air we breath… Trees.

Bioluminescence is defined by Dictionary.com as “the biochemical emission of light by living organisms such as fireflies and deep-sea fishes.” In other words, it is the ability of plants or animals to produce light from their bodies. Now imagine walking down a street at night, illuminated by the soft bluish green glow of bioluminescent tree leafs instead of street lights. As you arrive at your apartment you simply tap a leaf and tulip bulbs illuminate the entrance and desk that they rest on. The air inside your apartment is just as fresh as outside and the light sufficient to see but soft enough to sleep when they are left on. This is my solution to our energy crisis. If we used plants to illuminate rather than electricity, a global revolution may take place. No longer would people have to rely on electric companies to light their homes. All we would have to do is plant a tree or flower, move it inside and care for it, and that’s it. Aside from producing light, these plants would also help to remove allergens and purify the air. Unfortunately, plants and trees do not bioluminescence naturally and that is where I come in.

Genetically Modified Organisms have been in the news a lot as of late, usually about how we should be against them. The reality of the matter is that GMO’s change the organism for the better. For example, a strawberry the size of a golf ball was genetically modified, for in nature they do not grow that big. The same concept can be applied to a common house plant to effectively convert it from plant to lamp. Recently there was a discovery made about DNA removal/addition. In each and every mammal on the planet exists a protein in our cells called CRISPR-CAS9. This protein is responsible for our immunity to previously exposed diseases. For example, chickenpox will usually not reappear after you already had it because your body has developed an immunity. The CAS9 protein removes a small section of the virus’ DNA and replicates it then attaches it to your DNA. The fact that this protein is capable of cutting specific sequences of DNA, replicating them, and attaching snippets of DNA is astronomically significant. With this biotechnology we can add strands of DNA to any plant that make it bioluminescent effectively turning it into a lamp. We may even be able to take it a step farther by adding an entire organ to a plant which is shaped like a wall socket and is capable of producing electricity simply through photosynthesis. Imagine having to change your phone so you step outside and plug it into a tree! With these trees and plants everywhere, no one would be without access to free reliable energy. Unfortunately gene editing does not come without its own dangers.

There are a few dangers to genetically modifying organisms. One of the biggest dangers includes the spreading of the genes across species. Scientists have in fact been able to create genetically modified organisms, the problem is that the gene persists throughout generations. This, although it doesn’t seem like such a bad thing since we are making plants glow in the dark, can cause other plant species and perhaps even the organisms that consume the plant and their offspring to experience unusual side effects and or genetic mutations. The effect of the spreading of modified genes is still not fully understood and more research into the subject needs to be done before I have a definite answer. For now this is just educated speculation. Ecologically it could have a devastating effect if it causes animals to not eat the plant. The food chain would be disrupted in anywhere from an apocalyptic way to not at all. The cons are some that definitely have to be solved before the full implementation of the finished product.

In conclusion, free energy to me, is the next step in our human evolution as a species. The day that the world is illuminated without harming our environment is the day that I know my job is done. Although this idea is far fetched I believe that it is attainable. Just imagine a world like Pandora from the movie Avatar where there are glowing forests with different plant species that glow. That is my vision. The whole world would be illuminated by the very organisms that have inhabited our Earth since the beginning of life itself. This solution does not just solve the energy problem but also revolutionizes the way humans would view and interact with nature. Perhaps we would still be looking down at our phone screens, but we will be outside next to a power tree instead of hugging a wall.

Sources

https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/EG.ELC.ACCS.ZS

http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/bioluminscent-trees-could-light-our-streets

www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/world/world-without-power/