These advances are, at present, a very long way off. They will depend on inexpensive renewable electricity generation backed up by adequate large-scale storage, a combination that is yet to be commercialized (and an alternative to large pumped hydro storage is yet to be invented; for more see chapter 3). A nearly perfect solution would be to develop grain or oil crops with the capabilities common to leguminous plants—that is, with their roots hosting bacteria able to convert inert atmospheric nitrogen to nitrates. Plant scientists have been dreaming about this for decades, but no releases of
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