— Written by Lyle Jarvis

Bioremediation: What is it? 🍄 

Bioremediation is nature’s version of cleanup crew work. It’s the process of using living organisms (like plants, fungi, and microbes) to remove or neutralize pollutants from a contaminated site, such as soil, water, or air.  Bioremediation is part of the broader family of Nature-based Solutions (read more about nature-based solutions here). Through thoughtfully introducing microorganisms, bioremediation harnesses the natural power of living things to clean up environmental contaminants – a more cost-effective solution to outdated methods like the costly dig-and-dump strategy.

The idea behind the process is simple: plants are designed to pull nutrients from soil, which means they can extract toxic chemicals too. Fungi is especially effective at breaking down dead stuff, and certain mushroom varieties can particularly munch on nasty things like petrochemicals and lead to clean up polluted dirt.

Bonus read following our last newsletter: 3 ways nature-based solutions are tackling climate displacement in the Global South (World Economic Forum)

Spotlight: Danielle Stevenson, PhD, California 💡 

In Pique’s hometown, LA, wildfire restoration efforts have been chugging on all year long, cleaning up wreckage, monitoring the soil, the ocean, and beyond. When cars, buildings, and everyday materials burn they release nasty things like heavy metals (cadmium, arsenic, etc.), asbestos, and other contaminants that seep into soil and water. This threatens plants, animals, ecosystems and residents long after the fire itself gets put out, not to mention the lingering mental health impacts it has on communities.

Danielle Stevenson, PhD, is a pioneer in harnessing bioremediation techniques to restore contaminated land. In a pilot project in Los Angeles, her team used a combination of native plants and specialized fungi to detoxify an abandoned railyard. In just three months, they saw a more than 50% reduction in petrochemical pollutants, transforming a toxic site into a flowering meadow. After a year, the pollutants were basically undetectable.

Now she’s got her sights set on wildfire recovery. Check out this PBS video covering Dr. Stevenson’s efforts toward protecting the land, soil, and water of Los Angeles!

Underrated Climate Action Tool? 🌎️ 

Bioremediation is picking up steam across all sorts of environmental sectors. It can be used to de-escalate our rapid accumulation of waste, or help treat wastewater with microalgae. A project that started at University of Colorado Boulder used mycelium to clean urban soil and reconnect Indigenous families to the land for growing traditional foods. Tribal members in Northern Maine launched a community-based phytoremediation project to address PFAS contamination on their lands near the former Loring Air Force Base.

Most crucially, scientists now have clear proof that soil-healing work doubles as a key climate mitigation tool. Bioremediation directly aids carbon capture by restoring soil health, which creates a much better carbon sink than degraded land.

So, by nurturing our local soil architects, we’re not just cleaning up pollutants – we’re helping stabilize the global climate!

🫂🎃 Pique Readers, it’s almost Halloween!

Halloween is just around the corner, and we all know fast fashion is a monster for the environment. Rather than buying a cheap, single-use costume made of synthetic junk, we want to see how you're getting creative.

Share your sustainable Halloween costume ideas (and pics!) with us by replying to this email, and we'll try to feature as many as possible in our next edition!

👀 Some Stories You Might Have Missed This Week 🗞️📺:

1. Electricity from renewables overtakes coal in Australia for the first time (The Guardian)

2. Global investors are pouring more money into climate tech (Bloomberg)

3. Painting with Fire: How Indigenous Practices can Help Protect Forests (Washington Post)