Plastic-eating mushrooms!?

Half the plastic waste in the ocean GONE ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   [Whale shark about to swallow a plastic bag floating in the ocean]( {NAME}, 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. 91% of plastic isn't recycled, and every minute another truckload is dumped into the ocean suffocating sea life and spreading pollutants across shores. But magnificent mushrooms could change that. Scientists say fungi could eat as much as half of the plastic waste being dumped in the ocean! Retired NASA scientist Dr Cullings and an innovative nonprofit are working together to isolate and safely reproduce these plastic-eaters for industrial use, and they're asking for our help to expand their incredible research from the US to New Zealand. If 7000 of us donate the cost of a cup of coffee, we can help them pay for the lab and field equipment they need to carry on their research — and together we can rid the planet of plastic waste. Can you chip in to help? [I'll donate $3]( donate $4]( [I'll donate $5]( donate $9]( 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, and production keeps increasing. Plastic entering the ocean is expected to triple by 2040 if left unchecked. That's why scientists are researching how to use these crafty microbes to break down all types of plastics and to make it possible to better recycle and reuse plastics — and so far it’s working. 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. 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 fight against 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? [I'll donate $3]( donate $4]( [I'll donate $5]( donate $9]( donate another amount]( Industrial-scale use of plastic-eating fungi is already being trialled in France and Australia. We have a chance to be at the forefront of research that could make a real dent in the world’s plastic waste — but there is so much more to do if we want to solve the plastics crisis. We're also fighting to reduce plastic production, which is the #1 way to curb plastic pollution for good, and pushing governments to pass laws that support lasting solutions to address plastic pollution. Working together, we can cut plastic waste in half — are you in? Thanks for all that you do, Yasmin and the team at Ekō --------------------------------------------------------------- More information: [Fungus breaks down ocean plastic](. Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, 03 June 2024. [Preliminary Survey of Fungal Communities Across a Plastics/No Plastics Transition on an Oregon Beach](. Ocean Blue Project (BioRxiv pre-publication, in peer review), 23 January 2024. [Plastic-eating fungi thriving in manmade ‘plastisphere’ offer exciting possibilities for tackling global waste](. Kew Gardens, 18 May 2023. [Plastic-eating backyard fungi discovery boosts hopes for a solution to the recycling crisis](. ABC, 14 April 2023. [A Whopping 91 Percent of Plastic Isn’t Recycled](. National Geographic, 20 December 2018.  Anything extra raised will power Ekō and our campaigns worldwide fighting for people and the planet.   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. This email was sent to {EMAIL}. | [Unsubscribe]( Â