Keeling Curve

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Project Summary / Description:

Salk’s Harnessing Plants Initiative is one of the most established nature-based-solution research programs focused on increasing carbon banking in agricultural and wetland soils directly through improving plants. Crop seeds with improved carbon removal traits can be planted across the world on lands currently used for agriculture. These optimized crops will not require any special technologies to plant, maintain, or harvest. At the time of publication, more than 17 lines of Salk Ideal Plants have been developed and are undergoing validation studies. To achieve carbon neutrality by 2050—where we stop adding more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere—bold actions are required by the early 2030s. Seizing the opportunity to advance Salk Ideal Plant lines into fields and wetlands today is not just a step, it’s a powerful leap toward shaping the crucial decades that lie ahead. The time to make a difference is now.

How Project Affects Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions:

['Removes/stores GHGs (e.g., projects that capture, sequester, or otherwise enhance the "sinks" that accumulate and store GHGs)']

Impact on Underrepresented Groups:

Our project empowers underrepresented groups in the climate movement by employing international scientists from countries severely affected by climate change, ensuring diverse and inclusive solutions. Researchers hail from countries including Bangladesh, India, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Korea, Brazil, Cuba, as well as across the United States, and bring profound experiences of extreme weather and changing climate from across the world. Several of our downstream collaborators are international public breeding institutions, which create varieties that serve public interests and subsistence farmers.

Salk Ideal™ crops improve soil health by increasing carbon storage, enhancing water retention, and nutrient availability, advancing regenerative agriculture while reducing environmental stressors. Our work on quantifying soil carbon storage can support improved MRV systems, creating potential new revenue streams and directing carbon credit funds to vulnerable populations, providing greater financial support.

This integrated approach not only advances climate action but also promotes equity by supporting the livelihoods of those most impacted, including women, people of color, youth, and climate-vulnerable communities.

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Mission Statement:

The Salk Institute, founded by Jonas Salk, developer of the first polio vaccine, is a world-renowned, independent research organization. Home to award-winning scientists, it advances discoveries in neuroscience, cancer, aging, immunobiology, plant biology, and more. Small by design, it remains fearless, intimate, and innovative, unlocking life’s deepest mysteries.

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