[ [link removed] ]Photo of a seahorse swimming amongst plastic waste.
John,
How amazing is this -- scientists have discovered mushrooms that can
devour plastic waste in a matter of weeks...plastic that would otherwise
just be in the ocean forever.
Right now 91% of plastics we use can’t be recycled -- and every minute a
truckload-worth is dumped in the ocean, suffocating sea life and spreading
pollutants across shores.
But scientists say these mushrooms could eat up to half of the plastic
waste being dumped in the ocean -- and they need your help to finish their
groundbreaking research.
Scientist Dr Cullings is retiring from NASA this year to join the
nonprofit Ocean Blue Project in their work to isolate and reproduce
plastic-eaters for industrial use. They have projects planned in the US
and New Zealand that need funding. If 5000 of us chip in, we can pay for
the lab equipment they need to finish their research -- and help rid the
planet of plastic waste. Are you in?
[ [link removed] ]Chip in
$1[ [link removed] ]Chip
in 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 using these crafty microbes to try and break down all types
of plastics to make them possible to recycle and reuse -- and it’s
working.
John, we could finally get rid of plastic waste!
But we need more research to do this on a bigger scale, and we need to
move fast. Plastic production is increasing rapidly. By 2050, studies say
there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish -- but we can change
that.
Ocean Blue Project and Dr Ken Cullings have been at the forefront of using
fungi to clean up the environment. They have big ambitions in the war on
plastic waste, but lab equipment, field materials, and research time don’t
come cheap -- and they rely on donations to do this work.
It’s not often we can make a dent in the world’s plastic pollution -- and
this pioneering research could be one of the boldest solutions we’ve been
waiting for. Will you be one of the 5000 donors we need to buy this lab
equipment and support this crucial research to help eliminate plastic
waste?
[ [link removed] ]Chip in
$1[ [link removed] ]Chip
in another amount
P.S. Industrial-scale use of plastic-eaters is already being trialled in
France and Australia. With your help we could advance this research and
give the planet a fighting chance to breathe again. Every extra penny we
raise will support our campaigning to end plastic pollution.
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$1[ [link removed] ]Chip
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Thanks for all that you do,
Yasmin and the SumOfUs team
---------------------------------
More information:
[ [link removed] ]How a Plastic-Eating Enzyme is Helping Fight Plastic Pollution. Ocean
Blue Project. 14 December 2020.
[ [link removed] ]The Race To Develop Plastic-Eating Bacteria. Forbes. 10 March 2021.
[ [link removed] ]The fungus and bacteria tackling plastic waste. BBC. 30 July 2021.
[ [link removed] ]New super-enzyme eats plastic bottles six times faster. The Guardian.
28 September 2020.
[ [link removed] ]A whopping 91% of plastic isn't recycled. National Geographic. 20
December 2018.
[ [link removed] ]Enzyme-based plastics recycling is more energy efficient, better for
environment. Tech Explore. 20 July 2021.
[ [link removed] ]Plastic-eating enzymes trialled in Australian first to create
infinitely recyclable plastic. News.com.au. 21 September 2021.
[ [link removed] ]Carbios launches industrial demonstration plant for its unique
enzymatic recycling technology. Carbios. 29 September 2021.
SumOfUs 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 SumOfUs strong by chipping in $3. [link removed]
