Environmentalists who say we shouldn’t cut down the rainforest as it harbours potentially useful lifeforms are finally right: there’s an amazing fungus that can produce biodiesel better than any current methods. Gliocladium roseum was found in the Patagonian rainforest, as a by-product of antibiotics experiments. The scientists were amazed that the fungus was putting out a mist of hydrocarbons and hydrocarbon derivatives. “This is the only organism that has ever been shown to produce such an important combination of fuel substances,” according to one professor, who added that G.roseum can even make fuels from cellulose. With a little genetic tweaking, the team think it’s possible the fungus could become an important green fuel source. [Physorg]
Powell
Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 8:07 AMIt makes you wonder what little gems are hiding in the rainforests that are being mowed down at an alarming rate. We may have already destroyed the cure for cancer to build palm plantations and pastures for grazing cattle so we can have our Big Macs and double cheeseburgers!
-Powell
notpetroleum.com
Annit
Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 10:56 AMNote the use of the word “finally”:
Environmentalists who say we shouldn’t cut down the rainforest as it harbors potentially useful lifeforms are “finally” right
They have always been right. They are not finally right.
The importance of conservation of our rainforests and related ecology is not a sudden realization as much as a given. And the discovery of a single fungus which does miracles does not mean that the rainforest and its underlying ecosystem has suddenly come of use.
There are thousands of species in these rainforests which impart infinite wisdom even by basic observation.
Our world relies on mimicking the mannerisms and mechanisms used by nature.
We have not even scratched the paint when it comes to nature and we should not undermine its importance by saying that a single discovery of a hydrocarbon generating fungus finally redeems those environmentalists who have been crying foul about its reckless and needless destruction.