Gary King, PhD, Professor of Microbial Biology, Louisiana State University gives a lecture on global climate change and how microbes are impacted by man-made changes in the environment, presented by the American Society for Microbiology.
Humans are altering the planet, with climate change being one facet if humankind's influence on the ecosystem. Numerous examples of those changes are enumerated in the video, such as how mineral and coal pollution is affecting streams. Climate change will present us with a lot of challenges in the future, and whether we can deal successfully with those changes is a part of this talk.
The role that microbes currently play in our environment is another part of this discussion, such as how microorganisms contribute to the chemical composition of our atmosphere. Additionally, King reminds us of the interconnectedness of humans and microbes on Earth; we coexist with them in a symbiotic relationship and can manipulate it to the advantage of everyone and everything. We have to reduce or at least manage the use of nitrogen, for example. Increasing the storage of carbon in soil would be another great benefit to humans, and tinkering with the relationship of plants and bacteria could aid in that process.
