seaninprogress:

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shortformblog:

Seriously, though this is kind of a big deal. Know that big problem we have? You know, the one involving a crapload of used plastic hanging around in landfills with nowhere to biodegrade for a couple million years? Well, Jonathan Russell might’ve solved that problem. See, Russell and his fellow Yale students went to Ecuador, where they found a new kind of fungus they’re calling Pestalotiopsis microspora. Big deal, you’re thinking. Anyone can find fungus anywhere! Well, something his fellow students found out after the fact is that this fungus can live on a diet of polyurethane alone — and even crazier, it doesn’t even need air to do so! In other words, we could potentially put it at the bottom of a landfill and cover it with plastic, and it would do the rest of the work. This might be game-changing if it works as advertised. (photo via Flickr user dbutt; EDIT: Updated with link to research abstract) source

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If this pans out, it will be HUGE. How crazy is it that there might be something like this in the world, just waiting for us to discover it so we can use it to help save us from ourselves?

This is some of the most exciting news I’ve heard in a while.

(via la-corny)

Posted on Sunday 26th February 2012 with 9,630 notes
  1. devils-little-sister reblogged this from withoutasunrise
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  9. caroliebee reblogged this from obliteratedheart
  10. cantaloupeantelope reblogged this from diametrically
  11. schad3nfreude reblogged this from gl1tchyb1ts and added:
    PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE LET THIS HAPPEN! I HEARD OF THIS A WHILE AGO, I NEED THIS TO HAPPEN!
  12. gl1tchyb1ts reblogged this from allbecauseilostmytemper
  13. allbecauseilostmytemper reblogged this from withoutasunrise
  14. samlavery reblogged this from obliteratedheart
  15. seemslikeshannon reblogged this from obliteratedheart and added:
    holy crap that’s amazing!
  16. simplekindoflife reblogged this from obliteratedheart
  17. quedateluna- reblogged this from reveurminuit
  18. musicbeatstherapy reblogged this from withoutasunrise
  19. withoutasunrise reblogged this from obliteratedheart
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  21. diametrically reblogged this from obliteratedheart
  22. reveurminuit reblogged this from obliteratedheart and added:
    MASSIVE DISCOVERY.
  23. shepherdmoon reblogged this from obliteratedheart
  24. rlmeowmix reblogged this from obliteratedheart
  25. obliteratedheart reblogged this from shortformblog
  26. stephengoeslive reblogged this from xoxo-lauren-xoxo and added:
    I wonder how this will be implemented for mass plastic reduction, though. Personally, I think this is really great...
  27. anervoustickmotion reblogged this from roxinpunch
  28. xoxo-lauren-xoxo reblogged this from shortformblog and added:
    amazing, seriously! People seem...think things vanish