Microbes Warming Up to Climate Change

by Mechas Zambrano
 

A week of unusually warm weather for November in Boston, MA, and an online presentation on the perils of climate change have triggered my inner alarm in anticipation of troubles to come. We are well within the epoch recognized by some as the "Anthropocene," in which humans have be­come the major force behind global change. Global warming itself may not be new, but the immi­nent threat to life on our planet is, especially if we fail to meet the goal of no more than a 1.5°C rise in temperature above pre-industrial levels in the coming decades. Besides the menace of ex­treme weather conditions, such as wildfires, droughts, and floods, rising temperatures will also cause loss of biodiversity. All together these chan­ges will lead to increased ecosystem vulnerability that may tip the balance towards irreversible adverse impacts on health and sustainability.
 

La Tuna fire and city light, Sep­tember 20­17. Source

The serious risks resulting from increasing global tempera­tures, as reported by the Inter­govern­mental Panel on Cli­mate Change, require urgent actions on the part of policy­makers. Which is why world leaders once again met this month to discuss climate change at COP 27.
 

But other than mulling over what seems an inevitable out­come of our success as a species, and despairing about the slow pace of change despite the urgency, what can we do, especially as microbiologists? In line with these concerns, and given the central role of microorganisms in climate change, the American Academy of Micro­biology organized a colloquium with experts who made recommendations for academics, society, and policymakers "to promote inno­va­tion for microbe-driven climate change solutions that sup­port human well-being." The full re­port is online, but below are some ideas:
 

Research should aim to understand microbial alterations due to global climate change, follow ex­perimental designs that promote comparisons, incorporate data into models, and outline criteria to evaluate innovations and societal impacts. Scientists should communicate their work and ad­dress po­tential microbial risks, while policymakers can increase financing and surveillance of po­tential microbial risks, enhance collaboration, and incentivize innovations based on microbial pro­cesses.
 

It is therefore reassuring that much can still be done. We can work with microbes and, more im­portantly, engage in both individual and collective actions (much like microbes themselves) to learn, adapt and implement strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change. I invite you all to become more involved, in small- or large-scale initiatives, and take part in this truly glo­bal challenge.
 

 

 
Mechas (María Mercedes) Zambrano is a microbiologist and the Scientific Director of Corpogen Institute in Bogotá, Colombia.