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Fun guy chillin’ in South American rainforest finds plastic-eating fungi

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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Wow

THIS IS AMAZINGGGG

I love nature

THE EARTH IS SO AMAZING IT KNOWS THAT WE’RE FUCKING IT UP AND EVEN THEN INSTEAD OF GIVING US AN APOCALYPSE IT GOES AND GIVES US A SOLUTION TO HELP US FIX WHAT WE FUCKED UP BLESS

(via swiftasashadow-deactivated20151)