The trillion-dollar auction to save the world

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View in browser  |  Your newsletter preferences  05.28.23 The Trillion-Dollar Auction to Save the World Ever noticed seagrass? No, probably not. Though it grows prolifically everywhere but Antarctica, it isn't the sort of ocean creature that usually draws attention to itself. But look a little closer. Look beneath the blades of green. There, in its roots and rhizomes, the seagrass is furiously sequestering carbon. In fact, it can pack the stuff away as much as 10 times quicker than a tropical rainforest. You might wonder: How can humans protect this humble plant and encourage it to go on cleaning up our messes? What can we do for the seagrass? And you might be surprised to hear that the answer, according to an economist at the International Monetary Fund, is to put a price tag on it. Take all the seagrass meadows on Earth—and all the other CO2 sinks, for that matter—and assess their worth in carbon credits. Then sell the credits to polluters. Make ecosystems investable. Make the market pay to help nature thrive. In his most recent WIRED feature, staff writer Gregory Barber visits the Bahamas, where a group of scientists, financial experts, and government officials are working to monetize the seagrass meadows. The project, which could be worth tens of billions of dollars over the next 30 years, would be a boon for the island nation, which is under threat from worsening natural disasters brought on by climate change. But as Barber traces the idea from the warm waters of the Bahama Banks to the halls of a UN climate conference in Sharm El-Sheikh and back again, he finds that the math may not add up. —Anthony Lydgate | Features Editor READ THE FULL STORY You Might Also Like Primitive Asgard Cells Show Life on the Brink of Complexity BY JOSHUA SOKOL | 10-MINUTE READ As researchers race to cultivate these intriguing cells from the deep seafloor, the few growing in labs are our best glimpses of the forerunners of complex life. The Underground History of Russia's Most Ingenious Hacker Group BY ANDY GREENBERG | 8-MINUTE READ From USB worms to satellite-based hacking, Russia's FSB hackers, known as Turla, have spent 25 years distinguishing themselves as "adversary number one." ADVERTISEMENT Hippos Are in Trouble. Will 'Endangered' Status Save Them? BY ADAM WELZ | 7-MINUTE READ Animal welfare groups are pushing the US to restrict the import of hippo parts. But experts argue that that policy is limited, and may even cause harm. How to Close the Gender Health Gap BY ANNA BYRNE | 7-MINUTE READ Women's health care and outcomes have long come a poor second to those of men. But new initiatives and a wave of health tech innovators may finally rebalance this. Digital Culture Is Literally Reshaping Women's Faces BY ELISE HU | 6-MINUTE READ The internet has led to the rise of a "hyper-modern" pan-Asian beauty ideal. GET WIRED Get WIRED for just $29.99 $5. That includes subscriber-only content like Steven Levy's Plaintext column, plus free stickers! Subscribe now. ADVERTISEMENT Have questions or comments? Reply to this email.   This email was sent to you by WIRED. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our email address, wired@newsletters.wired.com, to your address book.   View our Privacy Policy Unsubscribe or manage your newsletter subscriptions