Could Superpowered Plants Be the Heroes of the Climate Crisis? In the midst of a bustling business park in Hayward, California, a revolutionary endeavor is taking root. Living Carbon, a climate biotech firm, has embarked on a mission to engineer hybrid poplar saplings capable of efficiently absorbing carbon dioxide (CO2). These genetically modified "mother trees" serve as pioneers in the fight against climate change. Clones of their leading lines have been planted in pilot projects in Georgia and Ohio to measure their carbon sequestration potential. These projects aim to remove CO2 from the atmosphere and, in turn, compensate landowners through the sale of carbon removal credits. The endeavor spearheaded by Living Carbon is at the forefront of a novel approach to combating global CO2 emissions—enhancing photosynthesis in plants. By making plants more proficient at photosynthesis, particularly in terms of CO2 uptake, the project holds the potential to supercharge the carbon-...