Happy Friday!

Here are today’s stories of progress in the fight against the climate crisis and nature loss.

🍄 When disaster strikes, fungi step in

Fungi naturally break down pollutants and recycle nutrients, and are often found thriving in sites of natural disasters like wildfires. Now scientists are harnessing this ability in a practice called mycoremediation, which involves using fungi to cleanse and restore sites of environmental damage that could otherwise decimate ecosystems, such as landfills or oil spills. It’s even hoped they could one day rid the earth of the ‘forever chemicals’ PFAS.

🍲 The diet that could save the planet

A new report finds that a ‘planetary health diet’ could cut emissions from the food system by half, avoid 40,000 early deaths every single day, and feed the world’s growing population. Rather than depriving people of their favourite foods completely, the science-backed diet limits animal products, is rich in vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, and whole grains, and can be adapted to suit local availability and cultural preferences. The biggest change involves red meat consumption – currently, people in the US and Canada eat seven times as much as what this planet-saving diet recommends. 

🧱 Low-emission bricks made from waste

Researchers from RMIT university in Melbourne have developed a building material that contains just a quarter of the carbon emissions of concrete, all while avoiding the amount of waste sent to landfill. The new, durable construction material is made from just cardboard, soil, and water, and has naturally cooling properties, meaning it can keep homes free from the worst of summer heat without energy-hungry AC. Plus, because its ingredients are so simple, the material can be locally sourced in remote regions, which would also cut emissions from transport.

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📝 The Green Light is written by freelance writer Molly Millar.