This is an opinion based question, so feel free to state your opinion in favor of or against the uses of these organisms. Regardless of which side of the debate that you take, it is going to be important to support your argument and include information from the two articles.
The application of these organisms is intriguing. Both articles state that the organisms have potential benefits for bioremediation. The one article specifically pointed out that...
This is an opinion based question, so feel free to state your opinion in favor of or against the uses of these organisms. Regardless of which side of the debate that you take, it is going to be important to support your argument and include information from the two articles.
The application of these organisms is intriguing. Both articles state that the organisms have potential benefits for bioremediation. The one article specifically pointed out that the newly discovered fungus could greatly benefit the breaking down of the huge amounts of polyurethane found in landfills.
Furthermore, it can survive in anaerobic environments, such as those existing in the oxygen-starved regions deep inside landfills.
The ability to metabolize and breakdown plastics allows both of these organisms to be potentially some of the most helpful organisms on the planet. There is a lot of plastic out there in landfills and the oceans, and there is not a single working solution to clean it up cheaply and effectively on a large scale. These two organisms could be hugely beneficial to the environment.
That being said, I would be hesitant to immediately put these organisms to work on a "large scale." They do seem to be miracle organisms that can help solve a large and growing problem. However, without further testing, it is risky to bring an organism from its natural habitat to somewhere else. It is risky because it could become an invasive species and take over a lot more niches than originally planned. As a result, other organisms could be outdone in a competition for limited resources. This could result in trash cleanup at the cost of species loss. This was the case in Australia in the mid 1800s when a farmer brought 24 rabbits with him from Europe.
By 1900, the rabbit population had exploded to a size reflective of an almost exponential population growth, had contributed to serious erosion of soils across the continent by overgrazing and burrowing, and are believed to be the most significant known factor for species loss in Australia's history.
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