Hello students, English learners and people all over Japan! We sincerely hope that everybody is okay after the typhoon. Some areas were hit very hard, and our thoughts are with anybody that was affected. Typhoons seem to be getting stronger and more unpredictable while summers feel like they are lasting longer and hotter than ever.
Today’s topic is related to our climate, and it is a bit of hope for our future. Recently, scientists in Europe have discovered a fungus in the ocean that eats polyurethane, a material commonly found in plastics. Parengyodontium album is the name of this newly-found fungus, and researchers are hopeful that it can be utilized in some way to help humans dispose of plastic waste around the world.
So far, humans have discovered around 18 different strains of fungus that are cabpable of breaking down plastic. However, only 4 of these, including Parengyodontium album, are “hungry” enough to be used in helping our plastic waste problem on Earth. Scientists will continue to explore ways to use these natural helpers in the years to come. Please watch this YouTube video below for more details about this amazing discovery!
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