Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is backing a University of Manchester project involving a species of “super” moss that may help tackle climate change.
A research team led by UoM’s Dr. Jonathan Ritson has been awarded the Bezos Earth Fund Greenhouse Gas Removal Ideation Prize for their work in peatland restoration, focusing on sphagnum moss.
Sphagnum moss is a central component of the peatland ecosystem, notable for carbon storage.
Growing in peatlands across the UK including Manchester’s neighbouring Peak District Moors, sphagnum moss aids in the creation of peat bogs and supports bacteria that consume methane, a greenhouse gas.
While human activity has led to the decline of sphagnum moss, including in the nearby Peaks, the university team is planning to use Bezos’ funding to restore the landscape.
Dr. Ritson stated: “I’m absolutely thrilled that we’ve been awarded this prize. It’s a valuable recognition of the critical role peatland restoration plays in greenhouse gas removal.”
“Manchester has been building up its reputation as a global hub for peatland research and it’s really great to have that recognised,” he added.
Through various lab testing and field trials, Ritson’s team hopes to use various sphagnum mosses as natural filters to trap methane in peat bogs and prevent further release.
The Bezos Earth Fund, established in 2020 with a $10 billion commitment, aims to address climate change and environmental protection by fuelling innovative solutions and new technology.
The team ultimately hopes to not only restore sphagnum moss populations in the UK, but in wider Northern Europe too.
“Jeff Bezos 2016” by U.S. Department of Defense photo by Senior Master Sgt. Adrian Cadiz is licensed under CC BY 2.0.