[ [link removed] ]Whale shark about to swallow a plastic bag floating in the ocean
John,
How amazing is this -- scientists have discovered mushrooms that can
devour plastic waste in a matter of weeks...plastic that would otherwise
remain in the ocean forever.
Right now 91% of the plastics we use can’t be recycled, and every minute
another truckload is dumped into the ocean, suffocating sea life and
spreading pollutants across shores.
Scientists say these magnificent mushrooms could eat up to half of the
plastic waste being dumped in the ocean! They're asking for our help and
we could give them enough funds to start right away on expanding their
research from the US to New Zealand.
NASA scientist Dr Cullings recently retired to join an innovative
nonprofit team in their work to isolate and reproduce organic
plastic-eaters for industrial use. They are ready to go. If 7000 of us
donate the cost of a coffee, they'll have enough to buy the lab and field
equipment they need for their research -- and together we can help rid the
planet of plastic waste. John, can you chip in?
[ [link removed] ]Donate
$3[ [link removed] ]Donate
another amount
Fungi, like mushrooms and yeast, are nature’s cleanup crew. The enzymes
they produce can break down pollutants and clean up everything from oil
spills to toxic pesticides.
Nearly all the plastic ever created still exists in some form today. So
scientists are researching how to use these crafty microbes to try and
break down all types of plastics and also ways to make them possible to
recycle and reuse -- and so far it’s working.
John, we could actually start to make a dent in the world's
plastic waste!
But we need more research to do this on a big enough scale, and we need to
move fast. Plastic production is increasing rapidly. Plastic entering the
ocean is on track to nearly triple by 2040 if left unchecked.
Ocean Blue Project and Dr Cullings have been at the forefront of using
fungi to clean up environmental disasters. They have big ambitions in the
war on plastic waste, but lab equipment, field materials, and research
time are expensive -- and they rely on donations to do this work.
This pioneering research could be one of the bold solutions we’ve all been
waiting for. Can you be one of the 7000 donors to support this crucial
research?
[ [link removed] ]Donate
$3[ [link removed] ]Donate
another amount
Industrial-scale use of plastic-eaters is already being trialled in France
and Australia. It’s not often we can contribute to work that could make a
real dent in the world’s plastic pollution.
With your help we could advance this research, but we know there is so
much more to do if we want to solve the plastics crisis. That’s why any
extra raised will go to support our campaigning, including campaigns to
reduce plastic production and pressure governments to pass laws that
support lasting solutions to address plastic pollution.
[ [link removed] ]Donate
$3[ [link removed] ]Donate
another amount
Thanks for all that you do,
Yasmin and the team at Ekō
---------------------------------
More information:
[ [link removed] ]Fungi that break down hardwood trees can do the same with plastic,
study shows. Phys.org, 14 April 2023
[ [link removed] ]Plastic-eating backyard fungi discovery boosts hopes for a solution to
the recycling crisis. ABC, 14 April 2023
[ [link removed] ]Oyster mushrooms expected to break down toxins and microplastics in
cigarette butts in Australian trial. The Guardian, 15 March 2023
[ [link removed] ]The Untapped Potential of the Amazon’s Plastic-Eating Mushroom.
Earth.org, 07 September 2022
[ [link removed] ]The world's first 'infinite' plastic. BBC, 12 May 2021
Ekō is a worldwide movement of people like you, working together to hold corporations accountable for their actions and forge a new, sustainable path for our global economy.
Please help keep Ekō strong by chipping in $3. [link removed]
