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How This Start-Up Hopes to Use Poplar Trees to Suck Up CO2

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Nicholas Vincent is a passionate environmentalist and freelance writer. He is deeply committed to promoting... Read More

Poplar trees have been known for their impressive growth rates and diverse applications, but can they help in the fight against Climate change? A start-up called Living Carbon believes so, and they are embarking on a mission to plant millions of “photosynthesis-enhanced” poplar seeds across the United States to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere.

Living Carbon has raised $30 million to plant between four and five million poplar trees, using genetically modified seeds that have been bioengineered to store up to 27 percent more CO2 than ordinary poplars. The company’s founders, Maddie Hall and Patrick Mellor, hope that their super trees will help them enter the carbon offset market, where they can sell credits to companies that need to reach net-zero emission goals.

The Department of Energy has given Living Carbon a $500,000 grant to conduct field trials, including one at Oregon State University. The study will test the taller trees’ ability to store more CO2 and whether the CO2 can be stored in lumber and plywood, which will outlast the poplars’ lifespan. If successful, the project could remove billions of tons of CO2 from the atmosphere, according to the Department of Energy.

Living Carbon’s synthetic biology platform has the potential to fill the gap between supply and demand by leveraging the powerful combination of proven nature-based solutions as a carbon sink and genetic engineering to deliver high-quality credits to the market, said Lisa Coca, a partner for the Toyota Ventures Climate Fund.

The voluntary carbon credit market could exceed $50 billion by 2030, but only if high volumes of credits become available in the near term. Living Carbon could supply credits within the next three to five years, Coca added.

The poplar tree has a long and interesting history, with Greek and Roman soldiers using the wood to make shields, and Leonardo da Vinci choosing a panel of poplar wood to paint the Mona Lisa almost 500 years ago. In the U.S., poplars, sometimes called cottonwood or aspens, are often found in gardens and are used for home building, often in the form of plywood.

Living Carbon’s quest to plant millions of poplar trees is not only about mitigating Climate change but also creating new opportunities for jobs and the timber industry. The company’s approach could revolutionize the way we think about tree planting and carbon offsets, while providing a renewable and sustainable solution to the climate crisis.

We can all play a part in reducing carbon emissions and mitigating Climate change. Planting trees is one way to help, and there are many other simple actions we can take, such as using public transportation, reducing meat consumption, and supporting renewable energy. Let’s work together to create a better future for our planet.