Making Korean "Bunsik" healthier 

In Korea, "Bunsik" is what we call foods that are eaten as quick snacks. For instance, gimbap and corndogs. Out of these, the most popular or rather a representative 'bunsik' food in Korea is called Tteok-bokki 떡볶이. Although this food is very popular, tteokboki lacks fiber and important dietary nutrients. So today, Eric and I decided to make tteokboki but with a twist to make this 'quick snack' healthier - tteokboki with edible crickets! 

Even thinking about eating dried crickets made Eric and I feel hesitant towards trying this recipe out initially. However, we knew that adding these edible crickets to the dish would make our tteokboki more nutritionally rich in proteins. Not only this but edible crickets (Orthoptera) are also known to be good sources of vitamins, minerals and fiber with 55 to 73% of protein. Thus, we put aside our hesitance to try this dish out and made it! Our end product just tasted like the tteokboki that we would have in "bunsik" restaurants but knowing that it was healthier made us feel more proud with this dish. 

By making tteokboki with edible crickets, we aim to promote the use of edible insects and spread awareness of the importance of using edible insects as an alternative food source for a more sustainable and an environmentally friendly future. 

Tteokboki + mealworm powder recipe: 

ricecake 

olive oil 1 Tablespoon 

red pepper paste 3 Tablespoonn

corn syrup 2 Tablespoon

ketchup 2 Tablespoonn

sugar 2 Tablespoon 

soy sauce 1 Tablespoon

a bit of grated apple 

edible crickets as topping 

Writer : Ella Hong

 Social Contribution Activities of Disney

By. Sangwook Alex Ahn

These days businesses and companies cannot keep up their reputation without putting emphasis on social responsibility. Businesses may have a large impact on society in numerous ways. Its efforts to make good contributions can make a change.

 

Companies with the best corporate social responsibility reputation (CSR) could be perceived in numerous dimensions such as

-       Product governance practices

-       Workplace practices

-       Social responsibility

-       Leadership

 

Studies show that people are increasingly concerned about sustainability. One of my favorite companies, the Walt Disney Company, is committed to protecting the planet for future generations. The company’s commitment to environmental stewardship dates to its founding nearly 100 years ago. 2030 Environmental goals focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, reducing waste, building more sustainability, and reducing the environmental impact of their consumer products. The company announced that it is teaming up with local utility providers to build two new solar facilities expected to come near Walt Disney World in 2023. That, along with existing solar resources, will power up to 40% of the resort's annual electricity needs. Disney also installed solar arrays at Castaway Cay and Hong Kong Disneyland. In addition, the company diverted 60% of operational waste from landfill, then launched plastic-free packaging for a line of classic Princess Dolls. Moreover, the company invested millions to support nonprofit organizations working across 30 countries through the Disney Conservation Fund.

The company continues to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in its workplace and beyond. They are implementing new content inclusion standards, launching a new talent acquisition initiative at historically black colleges and universities, and directing $15 million of annual charitable giving to programs serving underrepresented communities.

 

The company supports children's hospitals and wish-granting organizations through the contributions of thousands of Disney volunteers around the world. The company supported local food banks worldwide through monetary and in-kind giving, including donating more than 320 tons of food to support communities impacted by COVID-19.

The company launched its new social responsibility website at impact.disney.com. Check out their updates on their environmental social and governance work throughout the year.

Greenwashing By. Sangwook Alex Ahn   Have you heard of the phrase “greenwashing” or “green camouflage?” It is also known as “green lies” or “disguised environmentalism.” In the late 2000s, Terra Choice, a Canadian eco-friendly consulting firm, defined the 7 standards of greenwashing as acts that mislead consumers about the environmental practices of companies or the environmental benefits of products and services, or the act of hiding the factors that destroy the environment instead of highlighting only the positive impact.   Companies are shouting eco-friendly while in truth, it is very controversial. The disposable capsule coffee Green Mountain, sold by American Coffee company Keurig, has a triangle and the word recycling engraved on the surface. The company advertised that disposal plastic capsules can be recycled as plastic by removing the metal lid and emptying the coffee grounds. Consumers' complaints followed as the task of emptying the capsule one by one to recycle was too much of a bother and annoying. In the end, Fair Trade Canada, after investigation, concluded that the advertisement was false or misleading, imposing a fine of $2.3 million.  Nestle, a food and beverage company, held an event to recycle used aluminum coffee capsules from customers, saying “do good for the environment and the happiness of the community.” However, Nestle uses 8000 tons of aluminum to produce coffee capsules and emits 8 tons of carbon dioxide per year in the process. It was criticized as greenwashing because it emphasized recycling and the environment while hiding this fact.   In the case of Adidas, it was criticized for advertising "Stan Smith" as an eco-friendly product, claiming that at least 50% of the shoes are recycled. No concrete evidence was provided and in September last year, the French Advertising Ethics Commission found the company guilty, saying it was not clear how it was recycled.   The lack of clear standards for what is eco-friendly and what is greenwashing is a cause of controversy. Therefore, I think the work to establish a real eco-friendly standard and guideline for companies is essential and necessary.

'Green' Burials

 By Seojin David Lee

When someone passes away, the two most common options for dealing with the corpse are traditional casket burials and cremation. Two factors that caused many people to choose cremation for themselves over the traditional casket burial are its affordability and its minimal impact on the environment compared to traditional casket burials. This is due to casket burials being widely known as the less eco-friendly option. This may explain why the National Funeral Directors Association predicts that the cremation rate will increase to 78% compared to 16% for the traditional casket burial by 2040. However, cremation also has its environmental negatives. One of them is that cremation “[releases] hundreds of kilograms of carbon dioxide into the air per body” (1).

Then you may ask: “What is the most effective way of dealing with corpses?” In fact, another method has slowly started to increase in popularity among environmentalists: ‘Green’ burials. ‘Green’ burials are simply the act of disposing of a body using biodegradable containers, instead of using harmful concrete vaults like the traditional casket burial or releasing carbon dioxide during combustion like cremation. Considering these factors, it is fairly obvious that ‘Green’ burials are the best method in dealing with a corpse in an eco-friendly way, although it currently is not a popular choice due to its unfamiliarity. In fact, a survey revealed that most participants “planned on cremation, because they viewed it as the eco-friendliest option” (1). 

Despite the unfamiliarity of ‘Green’ burials, it has slowly been increasing in popularity. Organizations like the Green Burial Council have contributed to this growing trend. Founded in 2005, the organization “[establishes] green burial standards by certifying green burial sites” (1). Currently, the organization has “certified over 200 green burial sites” in North America (1). The effect of this organization is clearly reflected when The National Funeral Directors Association Of The United States reported that “14 percent of Americans over age 40 say they would choose green burial,” and “around 62 percent are open to exploring it” (1). 

Unfortunately, the lack of research surrounding ‘Green’ burials as it is still a relatively new method has to be acknowledged. Therefore, more research should be conducted to further identify the benefits and potential downsides of this method, in order to reduce harmful factors in other burial methods such as carbon dioxide emissions. Nevertheless, we must increase the awareness of ‘Green’ burials, and also consider how we can reduce the harm we inflict on the environment even when we are no longer breathing.

Source:

1: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/green-burial-environmentalism-cemetery-eco-friendly-death

Ice Melting in Greenland By. Sangwook Alex Ahn   One of the most alarming news I read in the newspaper is the “unprecedented” melting of ice sheets covering Greenland. In January, I read that the ice sheet covering Greenland is melting rapidly at its base and is injecting far more water and ice into the ocean than previously understood, which may have serious ramifications for global sea level rise.   Huge quantities of meltwater fell from the surface, and as the meltwater falls, its gravitational potential energy is converted to kinetic energy, which warms the water as it pools at the base of the ice sheet. In that process, the study found that the Greenland ice sheet produces more energy than the world's 10 largest hydroelectric dams combined. However, the heat generated by the falling water is not used to generate electricity. It is melting the ice.   Recently in July, I read an article that the amount of Greenland ice that melted in Greenland between July 15th and 17th alone was 6 billion tons of water per day. This is enough to cover the entire state of West Virginia with a foot of water. Each summer, scientists worry that they will see a repeat of the record melting that occurred in 2019 when 532 billion tons of ice flowed out into the sea. The global sea level rose permanently by 1.5mm as a result.   I am concerned as this is an actual example of a climate crisis. Nature is threatened when we do not take care of it. We have the responsibility to sustain and preserve the environment so that it will not be harmful to our lives.

The Greeners Project 

Written by Sangwook Ahn

Today, July 3, 2022, is the International Plastic Bag Free Day. In accordance with this special day, Ecosave members participated in “The Greeners Campaign” collaborating with Open Hands. The goal of the project is to improve the environment of the underprivileged village of Inarawan. Trash is easily seen everywhere and anywhere around the village and the stinking odor is hard to endure. The trash causes contamination to their water supply and eventually threatens their health and well-being. 

To solve this problem, Ecosave Club and our partner Open Hands organized a plogging event. Our members gathered at the Han River Highland, an area that is a popular spot for family picnics and numerous social events. As expected, there were trash left behind from the day before, and we collected them in biodegradable trash bags. In addition, we held a fundraiser after the plogging event. The funds will be used to educate the children of the Cherryl School regarding basic hygiene to hold plogging events at the Inarawn village and finally to provide meals for the children who are suffering from malnutrition.

We plan to continue with the Greeners Campaign by making educational videos to educate children about the problems caused by the trash and raise awareness to the villagers the importance of preserving the environment. 

Overall, our Ecosave members felt the event was successful, as we were able to promote our club to young children and families who were at the Han River Highlands and even to the former running presidential candidate who we surprisingly ran into. We look forward to the next plogging.

Deforestation

 Deforestation

Written by Caleb Cheha Paik

                            

Deforestation is common and deadly. The world suffers from deforestation due to human activity. In South Korea, the average annual deforestation rate is about 0.11%. This may not seem so bad at first, but that is about 7100 hectares of forest lost each year. This is equivalent to around 17500 football fields! This is a great issue that we need to face.

Deforestation is intentional clearing of forested land. In order to make space for construction, and materials for burning, humans are responsible for the destruction of trees and wildlife. 

There is one major consequence to this action. The increased emission of carbon dioxide. Obviously, the disappearance of trees is not increasing the amounts of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. That comes from the works of manufactures and productions. However, the destruction of trees contributes to the increase because trees take in carbon dioxide for photosynthesis. Meaning, with the lack of trees, the amount of carbon dioxide in the air will be more than usual. This creates an ultimate problem: global warming. 

Furthermore, deforestation also threatens biodiversity. Rainforests are home to many great animals and plant species that are threatened if their habitat is destroyed. When their homes and food are destroyed, some species may even go extinct. 

Today, we have talked about the dangers of deforestation. However, wood is an absolute material people need in their lives. Therefore, that brings up a question. Will humans refrain from too much deforestation? If so, will it even be any help towards the environment? 

https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/deforestation

https://rainforests.mongabay.com/deforestation/forest-information-archive/South_Korea.htm#:~:text=63.5%25%20%E2%80%94or%20about%206%2C265%2C000%20hectares,annual%20deforestation%20rate%20of%200.11%25.

•  E-gen AmbassadorCheha Paik

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