If you look at plants from a technological point of view, there is a fascinating flaw in photosynthesis which is simply down to the fact that it evolved in an atmosphere with virtually no oxygen, and now it is having problems with its own waste product. Some tropical plants like maize and sugar cane have found a fix, but other crops like rice and wheat are massively inefficient at turning carbon dioxide into food, which is why various research groups are trying to improve them.
Read all about it in my feature:
Fixing photosynthesis
Chemistry & Industry April 2015, pp 42-45
Free access to the full text
In the same issue I also have a "long essay review" of the book Fracking by Hester and Harrison (from the series Issues in environmental science and technology)
Fracking - points of view
Chemistry & Industry April 2015, pp 50-51
limited access
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