The Amazon Mycorenewal Project investigates how mushrooms can be used to help clean up the massive oil pollution that contaminates many regions around the world, especially the Ecuadorian Amazon. Mycorenewal is a new technique that has been proven successful in the lab, but limited studies have been done on its real-world applications.
Many people are unaware that the largest land-based oil spill in the world is located in the Sucumbios province of the Ecuadorian Amazon region. Since the 1960s, Texaco and other oil companies have intentionally dumped petroleum waste products, failed to uphold safety regulations, and ignored degraded pipelines that spring leaks on a weekly basis. As a result, it is estimated that 18.5 billion gallons of oil now contaminates this biodiverse and ecologically unique area. Local communities are very well organized and are working for legal justice, addressing the resulting public health crisis, and fighting to prevent further spills. The Amazon Defense Coalition is leading a multi-billion dollar lawsuit against Chevron-Texaco for remediation funding to clean up their community. AMP is directed and coordinated by local leaders.
