Shiny happy crops

Light-reflective crops keep the planet cooler

By Ashley Griffin Gartland

February 1, 2008

What if the crops farmers planted had the power to slow down global warming?

According to a new study from the University of California, Irvine, they do. Experts involved with the study say that fields of reflective plants could send more of the sun’s heat back into space and possibly reverse temperature rises in parts of the world.

If the findings prove true, and applicable on a large scale, researches say they might one day be used to combat global warming. In an article in the Guardian, the scientists also mentioned how their findings could change our landscape:

Other scientists have suggested different ways to cool the planet by making it more reflective, including growing broadleaf varieties of trees instead of conifers, and painting roads, roofs, and car parks white.

Down on the farm, this might simply translate to planting more shiny crops, like the new extra-hairy variety of soybean; the hairs help the bean reflect about 5 percent more sunlight than normal.