Although mushrooms helping the climate is not new news, it’s all the more relevant to what’s going on today. In case you didn’t know it, mushrooms have the potential to save the earth. It might sound like an exaggeration or even a lie to some, but it isn’t. From helping clean polluted soil to cleaning up oil spills, mushrooms are a gift to the earth and their potential is limitless. So, let’s get into the different ways mushrooms can save the planet.
Cleaning Polluted Soil
Essentially, fungi that are in their vegetative form are called mycelium. The fungi that appear on bread or other foods that are spoiled usually have white long threads. Those threads are called hyphae but the moldy spot as a whole is a good example of what mycelium looks like. Mycelium is most commonly found in the soil, and it gives nutrients to various trees, plants and animals. If plants don’t have good soil then they don’t grow as well, therefore, fungi play a major role in how healthy the soil is. When a mycelium joins with another mycelium they form into mushrooms. Those mushrooms are from the fungi kingdom and although they have a plantlike form they share more similarities to humans than to plants. The DNA in a mushroom is almost the same as the DNA that people have.
Since mycelium works like an underground network it has a lot of abilities. It is able to help give nutrients to mushrooms and helps them grow. Through a process called mycoremediation, fungi are capable of cleaning pollutants from the soil by breaking down any bad synthetic materials. By changing these compounds into smaller pieces they become less harmful.
Some of these dangerous elements that fungi can break down and/or absorb are petroleum, neurotoxins, airborne pollutants, synthetic dyes, cadmium, lead, arsenic, mercury, copper, dioxins and organophosphates. However, there are other materials like arsenic and mercury that fungi cannot break down. Those substances can then be transported out of the soil and be brought out through the mushrooms themselves. Those mushrooms can then be removed from the soil to create a healthier earth.
Making Insecticides
All-natural insecticides that are mushroom-based can be very beneficial to humans because it is non-toxic. Yet, it still has the power to kill thousands of insects without putting any bees at risk. It is also safe for birds, pollinators, fish and other animals that are usually harmed by insecticides but are not targeted. This is great for the many different species of bees that have, in recent years, been classified as endangered species.
Neonicotinoid is one of the pesticides that has been criticized for the drop in the bee population. A fungal pesticide can make harmful ones a thing of the past. In many cases weeds become resistant to toxic pesticides creating pressure on many industries to overuse those products and also use them more than they need to.
Traditional chemicals include ammonia, arsenic, chlorine and formaldehyde. Some of these toxic chemicals have had harmful effects on animals and humans. Another benefit that a natural insecticide could bring to the agriculture industry is the demand for organic produce.
World-renowned mycologist Paul Stamets had a carpenter ant problem that was destroying his home. When no other chemical pesticides were fixing the issue he created his own solution. As mentioned before many insects become immune to existing chemical insecticides or in this case they know not to fall for traps.
Statmets got a small amount of a mycelium that was in a non-sporulating form because the ants know not to go near spores. He placed it near the debris fields caused by the carpenter ants and it attracted them to eat it. In one week he had eliminated all of the ants. This solution requires only a small quantity, it is inexpensive and not harmful to humans and other pets. Even better, a small amount can protect a home for years.
Treating Smallpox and Flu Viruses
Another way mushrooms can save the planet is by helping those who inhabit it. Mushrooms are beneficial to human health. It is believed that one type of rare mushroom called Agarikon can have medicinal properties and may offer a defense against the smallpox virus.
Mushrooms and humans share many similarities making mushroom mycelium a great producer for some of the best antibiotics for humans. In addition to healing flu viruses and smallpox, mushrooms can also provide antioxidants and vitamins for humans. There are certain mushrooms that have even been linked to keeping the heart in good health and protecting people from cancer.
There are many other ways that mushrooms can help improve someone’s health because they are included in many weight loss diets, plant based diets, enhance digestion and they help boost the immune system.
Mushrooms Can Help in Micro Forestry
Deforestation has become a major problem all over the world. There are more negative effects to deforestation than just losing trees; fewer crops will grow as a result, the climate will change, flood increases and many indigenous people are the ones that suffer the most.
Through Micro forestry, a lot of the trees that have been lost can be replaced. Mushrooms are beneficial in micro forestry due to their ability to cure plants that are sick. They naturally live off of the bacteria that create the illnesses. That process makes them natural healers to the environment. Furthermore, mycelium is responsible for making those plants grow stronger and healthier by joining the roots to the vitamins, minerals and water. Micro forestry will add trees to replace the millions that have been lost.
Clean up Oil Spills and Rehabilitate Waterways
A little over a decade ago news broke about the BP oil spill because it has been the worst disaster to the environment in history. More than 130 million gallons of petroleum were discharged into the Gulf of Mexico over the span of 87 days. It affected all of the sea life that was living in that area at the time. It troubled the reproduction of new dolphins, killed about a thousand of them and many are still sick.
The spill had repercussions for everyone that came in contact with the oil, some even lost their life. This is only one example of how oil spills can affect the earth, toxic waste pools are causing problems all over the world. Mycoremediation is a process that uses mycelium to restore the environment and it has shown promising results to clean up these problems.
One species that has stood out to help in this mission is the Oyster mushrooms because they produce enzymes that have the ability to break up unsaturated chemical compounds found in petroleum and they can absorb heavy metals. This fungal mindset has also found a solution to rehabilitate waterways through the same process of mycoremediation to remove contaminants from water.
Mushrooms as an Inexpensive Fuel Source
The production of biofuel has harmful effects on the environment but making it from mushrooms can change that. There have been other methods to make biofuels from food crops but it is very costly and would affect food production. Using mushroom waste to produce biofuels will be better for the environment and more cost-effective.
Over the last few years, the possibility that fungi can produce cellulosic ethanol has been explored. This would improve the cost of energy and reduce the amount of water that is used to make ethanol. Mycelium networks and their many health and environmental benefits have become game-changers in many different fields. These discoveries could end or slow extinctions and bring medicinal solutions to diseases. Mushrooms have the ability to restore the deforestation that is threatening the ecosystem.
They can serve as an alternative to biofuel and can rehabilitate the soil that is contaminated by the petroleum industries. Mushrooms are powerful organisms that have many different uses and can help improve the way many industries operate. Everyone should invest in a shroom grow kit and start cultivating today.
Do you agree that mushrooms can save the planet? Why or why not? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
