Paul Stamets at TED: How Mushrooms Can Help Save The World
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 08.21.08
Six Ways that Mushrooms Can Help Save the World
Yesterday I posted about MushroomExpert.com, and in the process of researching that post I came across the above video of Paul Stamets speaking at TED which, for some reason, we have yet to feature on TreeHugger (though we have written about Paul Stamets’ work before). In true TED style, Stamets leads us in just over 18 minutes through a dizzying array of initiatives that he and his team have been exploring, in collaboration with universities, private companies and even the defence department, regarding ways that fungi can help us combat environmental destruction. From cleaning up of oil spills and other pollution with mushrooms (see also Jeremy’s post on the San Francisco oil spill) to using mycelial mats to filter out E. coli from farm run-off, to harvesting mushrooms from old growth forests to combat small pox and even flu, it seems there’s little that mushrooms can’t do for us.
Stamets is also experimenting with packaging materials infused with mycelium and tree seedlings, that could help regenerate old growth forests (though I can’t help but wonder about the dangers of shipping non-native species around the globe), and he has also been exploring the possibility of using fungi in the production of cellulosic ethanol (Matthew has delved a little into fungi and ethanol before). But, in our experience of talking about Stamets’ work, it’s usually the slides about mycopesticides that most often blow people’s minds – once you’ve seen a mushroom infesting a termite, and then sprouting from its head, you start to understand what Stamets means when he says that these are powerful organisms that we would do well to understand better
Anyone wanting to learn more about the work of Paul Stamets and his team should check out his company, Fungi Perfecti, or get hold of his latest book, Mycelium Running (which has been recently expanded).
::Fungi Perfecti::via YouTube::
More on TreeHugger about Fungi and Mushrooms
MushroomExpert.com: Online Guide to Mushrooms and Fungi
Hair and ‘Shrooms to Clean Beaches
Adding Fungi Can Boost Ethanol Production
Shrooms to Grow: Home-Grown Insulation Gets Fungi
Can Mushrooms Lubricate Your Chainsaw, Feed Your Dog and Save the World?
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My friend took me to a Bioneers conference in Detroit, MI where I was first introduced to Mr. Stamets. I saw most of this presentation that very day and it changed my way of thinking as well as my life. I was extremely impressed with the possibilities of cleaning toxic areas with fungi, but was overwhelmed when he demonstrated how fungi can be used as a pesticide. Paul has become a hero of mine. My friends and I currently farm our own mushrooms that we order through his company (Shitakes, Pearl Oysters, Lions Mane, Mitakes, and Chicken of the Woods. If you have interest in fungi cultivation, I highly encourage you to check out his company FUNGI PERFECTI.
http://www.fungi.com
So, how do we get our hands on some fungi pesticide? I sure could use some.
This is amazing! Talk about most overlooked multi-functional organism awards!
It took me a while to get to watch this but as always TED delivers a fascinating and illuminating talk - well worth watching.