Mushrooms touted as climate change weapon

Mushrooms could help to save the planet. Experts say that the fungi play an important role for the environment, as they soak up carbon dioxide and support plant life, and scientists have suggested that they could be a key weapon in the fight against climate change.

Neville Kilkenny, an expert in the study of fungi at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, said: “I don’t think this is an excuse for us to continue behaving the way we’re behaving on the planet, but fungi will offer a lot of solutions to try to dig our way out of the hole we’ve dug ourselves. I think our fungi will offer many solutions.

“The most important thing to take on board is that none of what we have already would be here without the fungi.”

Kilkenny suggested that Britain had become “mistrustful” of fungi, but people are beginning to realise that mushrooms “are literally the saviours of our planet”.