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When you think of organisms that would save the world a caterpillar doesn’t usually come to mind. However, the wax worm has proven that even the smallest contribution can make a whole lot of change.

Many people have been annoyed by the presence of the wax worm for decades. In fact, it is most well-known for the pest problem it creates in Europe. What we citizens of the world didn’t know though is that the wax worm is helping the environment by eating plastic bags.

Yes, a plastic-eating caterpillar may help save the world and here’s how…

What You Need to Know About the ‘Plastic-Eating Caterpillar’

The fact that the wax worm eats plastic was discovered by an amateur beekeeper in Spain. She found the wax worms in one of her beehives and removed them, placing them in a plastic bag. She was surprised to find that the worms ate through the plastic bag at an alarming rate.

So, that has gotten scientists wondering what else the stomach of this plastic-eating caterpillar can handle. What if the wax worm could break down polyethylene (aka plastic bags, which currently filling up landfills around the world) on a regular basis?

How a ‘Plastic-Eating Caterpillar’ May Change the World

The answer to that question is yes. The plastic-eating caterpillar can also digest polyethylene, as shown in the video above. Wax worms are actually more efficient at eating through plastic bags than any other method tried by scientists previously.

The Spanish beekeeper that discovered this about the wax worm collaborated with scientists to discover just how well these plastic-eating caterpillars are able to, well, eat plastic. They discovered that they ate through plastic bags at an alarming rate and there’s a science to it.

A wax worm’s enzymes are what aids the breakdown of plastic, according to the study published in the scientific journal “Biology.” The scientists were able to confirm that it is the enzymes in the caterpillar’s body causing the breakdown by mashing the bodies of a few worms on bags (with similar results to them eating the bag). If scientists are able to replicate this enzyme it could help alleviate the effects of pollution around the world.

Think about the number of plastic items and plastic bags you through out just on a weekly basis. Plastic bags fill up landfills around the world. If scientists are able to focus the efforts of these plastic-eating caterpillars they could slow down some of the affects of the pollution caused by plastic bags and other plastic items being thrown away. This tiny organism has the ability to change the world one plastic bag at a time.

Want more information about the plastic-eating caterpillar, check out the video below.

Like this article? You may also enjoy reading about Odd Ways to Make Money and Alternative Uses for Plastic Bags.

Photo: Gecko Forums

Greenhouse gas emissions have been a concern of millions of people around the world for years. Countries around the world have been trying to get these emissions under control for years. If everyone was able to get on board with dialing down greenhouse gas emissions it is possible that we, as a human race, would be able to dial down global warming by more than 2 degrees Celsius from where it was before the Industrial Revolution. A new study, however, shows that there may be more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere than scientists initially thought.

The fact that there may be more greenhouse gas emissions than scientists originally thought is important. This is because the efforts being made to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions would need to be cut even more to make a dent in the damage that has been done.

New Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The new study will be published in a paper form next week in “BioScience.” It shows that hydropower may in fact be a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions.

This is an unexpected source of something that is doing harm to the environment. Oftentimes people think of hydropower as a way to provide power to the world without harming the atmosphere. Man-made reservoirs, like the Hoover Dam, may be behind the rise in greenhouse gas emissions.

There are approximately 1 million dams throughout the world that have been created for the purpose of providing electricity, irrigation and other human needs. While these forms of energy seem to be “green,” scientists have proven that they are emitting practically a billion tons of carbon dioxide each year (1.3 percent of the global total).

How Greenhouse Gases Affect the Environment

These gases are generally in the form of methane, which has a strong short-term warming effect. Some emissions of carbon dioxide can be used by humans for energy, like oil and gas. However, a great deal of these emissions are harming the atmosphere.

The latest research, as previously stated, shows that reservoirs that we are using for energy may actually be emitting more of these gases into the air (not usable for energy like gas and oil). According to the Washington Post, 79 percent of the gases being emitted from reservoirs are methane-based gases. Carbon dioxide accounted for 17 percent and nitrous oxide accounted for 4 percent.

“There’s been kind of an explosion in research into efforts to estimate emissions from reservoirs,” said Bridget Deemer, one author involved with the study. “So we synthesized all known estimates from reservoirs globally, for hydropower and other functions, like flood control and irrigation.”

Researchers also found that the estimates of methane emissions per area of reservoir are about 25 percent higher than scientists originally thought. According to Deemer this is especially important because there is a global boom in dam construction worldwide right now.

How to Fix the Problem

Deemer points out that the study didn’t only single out dams that are being used for energy purposes. Dams being used for other purposes are also causing issues with the environment. The information gathered by the team took a look at 267 reservoirs around the world which cover 30,000 square miles.

John Harrison, another author of the study, said that based on the information shown dams have been emitting about the same amount of gases as rice paddies. Rice paddy emissions, however, have been taken into account for years. Reservoirs have not.

In fact, Harrison said that based on the new study, it appears that reservoir emissions and rice paddy emissions are of about the same magnitude on a global scale — but rice paddy emissions have been taken into account for some time. Reservoir emissions often have not.

Still More to Be Discovered

Authors of the study acknowledge that there is still more information to be found out about greenhouse gas emissions, especially where dams are concerned. The current study findings do not represent a “life cycle analysis” of all the reservoirs in the world. The study also does not weigh in the fact that the majority of the reservoirs are used to generate hydropower. Using hydropower presumably creates fewer greenhouse gas emissions than burning coal or natural gas.

Either way, the scientists know one thing for sure. These emissions, whether caused by hydropower or other sources, need attention. They are slowly eating away at the atmosphere and destroying the environment.

What do you think about the scientists’ findings?

Photo: carol bean

This Plastic-Eating Caterpillar Could Help Save The World