6 ways fungi might save the world

Discussion in 'Fungi, Lichens and Slime Molds' started by jimmyq, Feb 4, 2009.

  1. jimmyq

    jimmyq Well-Known Member 10 Years

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  2. greenboy

    greenboy Active Member

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    Thank you for sharing, but I want to talk to real science people, what I mean by that all those clowns in Science today, they just want to prove their "darwininian S." but they dont really make us understand ( becuase they do not understand themselves" how the natural world really function, I want to know if you know any group of real science people, people explaining how all those ecologicals and nature really works, without bringing point like evolution, Darwin and by that effect Creation and or Intelligent Design. Just to educate me and the masses about our world and how the organisms in it works I will be very happy learning how the mechanism works, and How me like a simple human beign I can do things better for our enviorment. And our earth, I really dont care about those millions years they always have to bring up, so they make sure they will get that Grant money. I want to know in HOW we can learn and we can make our planet better for us an our children. Get pure Science and not Theological Biology, ( creacionistm and evolutionisms are theological biology belive it or not).
     
  3. Brainiac

    Brainiac Member

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    I've used and have read alot of his books/stuff..He knows what he's talking about...
     
  4. KUBruceIII

    KUBruceIII Member

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    ... your comment couldn't have been farther off the mark from what the purpose of that message was had you tried!! That wasn't a talk about evolution or ecology so much as a presentation of some of the more catchy aspects of fungi (to hold the attention of those of us that are less biologically inclined) and some of the ways that fungi can be used to solve some of the problems facing our growing human populations. That said, most of the ideas presented there are greatly impractical, at least large scale, and the guy is DEFINATELY a hippy, though I won't hold that against him! He appears to me to be an extremely intelligent man, and at least he is offering solutions vs. merely gloom and doom like mosts ecologists.

    Also, evolutionism is theology? You might want to reference an online dictionary. Aside from it not being "theological biology" (I beleive you can coin that phrase) it is nearly universally accepted by ALL biologists in the world and any biological discussion will nearly always have the words "evolutuonary adaptation" or "through the course of evolution". This is just how the biological sciences are, that's all. You don't have to agree however don't knock it just because you aren't familiar with it yourself.

    If you want to make the world better for your children, there are many things to do. Start by recycling and riding a bike if you can over driving a car. Turn your thermostat a little warmer in the summer and colder in the winter, even if jsut by 2 degrees. Take the stairs, not the elevator, plant a garden of your own and collect your own seeds every year for next years crop. Unplug appliances that are not in use, from coffee pots to microwaves and laptop chargers. Also, you may notice a pattern that what is good for the global environment is also good for your health and your wallet. I know it's cliche, but it all starts with you! (sorry, I had to)
     
  5. kaspian

    kaspian Active Member 10 Years

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    Yes, that was certainly an odd response to an interesting video.

    Greenboy seems (judging from his single blog post) quite sincere in his commitment to the natural world. So that, to me, makes it doubly odd that he seems to harbor some kind of knee-jerk resentment of anything that even hints at evolution. (Apparently it was a reference to "millions of years" that activated his trigger.) And from there he jumps to a bizarre accusation that the scientist in question is trying "to prove their darwininian S." -- whatever their means -- in order to "get that Grant money."

    All this -- on top of a complete and embarrassing inability to spell, or to construct a remotely grammatical English sentence -- might give one pause to despair over the state of science education in (at least) Hazelton, PA. And yet despite it all, he seems to have come through with a real love of nature. (Though sadly this love is not strong enough to make him willing to learn how nature really works. But maybe in time.)

    The fungus video was way cool, though. Thanks for the tip.
     
  6. greengarden bev

    greengarden bev Active Member

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    Fascinating video-- thanks for posting the link.

    I agree with Kaspian and KUBruceIII on the bizarre response from Greenboy. Fundamentalists will rah-rah for Science until it tells them something they disagree with. Instead of examining their world view or their own belief systems, they get mad at it. They want "real" Science--scientists on their side of the fence.

    But back to the mycellium... Paul Stamets is right out there, isn't he? I was with him until the very last part, where he starts in on biofuels from cellulose and fungi. Fuel. Cars. Why does talk of 'saving the world' always seem to end up in the gas tank of an internal combustion engine? Stamets lives in the stratosphere of his narrow field of study. Why couldn't he have stopped at soil building and soil remediation-- there is an obvious and urgent need for help in these areas, since we have damaged and destroyed so much of the world's topsoil already.

    Taking that last step into biofuel creation really shows what happens when a brilliant mind forays into an area it doesn't understand. "Saving the planet" IS NOT ABOUT CARS. Cars and engines and the happy-motoring lifestyle that support industrialized economies are a major part of the problem. Why oh why do otherwise intelligent people immediately jump onto the techno-fix bandwagon and start worrying about how to save their precious darling cars?

    I hope that we never discover a quick-and-easy replacement for dwindling oil supplies. Doing so will only prolong the rape and pillage of the world's remaining ecosystems, species, and "resources". We need to accept that the fossil-fueled party is over and it's time to sober up and realize there are limits to growth. Earth is finite.

    Speaking of limits to growth, anyone who read the Limits to Growth (or other books that inspired the Club of Rome) in the early 70s may be interested in the May-June issue of American Scientist (www.americanscientist.org). It turns out the Meadows-Randers research was right after all.
     

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