Leonardo is back! His speech on Earth day in UN

Mr.Leonardo DiCaprio delivered a speech at the signing ceremony of Paris COP21 in UN.
He quoted Lincoln on his speech :

'President Abraham Lincoln was also thinking of bold action 150 years ago :The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present, as our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew. We must disenthrall ourselves and then we shall save our country.'

'He was speaking in front of congress to discuss slavery. Everyone knew it had to end, but no one had the political will to stop it. Remarkably his words ring as true today when applied to the defining crisis of our time: climate change.'

Mr.DiCaprio said an 'upheaval, a massive change' is required by everyone in order to save the planet from its current state.

'One that leads to a new collective consciousness, a new collective evolution of the human race, inspired and enabled by a sense of urgency from all of you,' he said. 

When he finished his speech, he brought climate change back to the words Lincoln said so many years ago.

"We will be remembered in spite of ourselves,."

Eating Smart

We all know that reducing CO2 emissions, recycling and conserving water are also some ways to save our environment. However, not many people will know that eating insects is also a way to save the environment.

A recent report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported that 26% of earth’s surface is used for livestock grazing and one-third of earth’s arable land is used to grow livestock feed. Usage of land for livestock doesn’t stop there. In Brazil, 70% of defrosted land is used as pasture and in Botswana, 23% of water is consumed by the livestock industry. Eighteen percent of global greenhouse emissions is attributed to the livestock industry which is more than transportation related sources. Livestock production also causes soil erosion and depletes our food supply as well.

Facts and figures show that livestock industry has an irreversible impact on our environment. This is where insects come in. Rather than raising livestock to feed ourselves and at the same time destroying our environment, we can substitute insects as source of protein.

FAO has estimated that there are 1,462 species of recorded edible insects and there are still hundreds or thousands of species that have not been tried or even discovered yet. And globally it is estimated that about two billion people consume insects as part of their diets.

Consumption of insects shows similar trend in Korea as well. The edible-insect market is currently worth 1 billion won ($857 million), which is small compared to the U.S and Europe, but the trend is growing fast.

CJ CheilJedang, one of Korea’s largest food-processing company of Korea announced last moth that it is looking into edible insects as a smart alternative to traditional protein such as meat. 

“Protein sources, such as meat, have production limitations. Insects are much higher in protein and sustainable to farm. This could become the future of food,” said Kim Hyun-dong, publicist for CJ CheilJedang in an article published by Korean Herald.

The article also stated that grasshoppers, crickets, mealworms and honey ants insects are usually used for cooking as they are all rich in protein and minerals. They also contain high amounts of unsaturated fatty acid.

While a plate of grasshoppers cannot replace a juicy steak or a hamburger, it can be a substitute for the protein we normally find in beef.  

Posted by Daniel Kim 

A Picture With a Story

An offline store of 성실화랑

         The paper cup you just threw away, the plastic bag you purchased that is rolling around the ground, even the balloon your child just let go--did you ever notice that these small, sometimes unnoticeable actions will harm our environment? Sungsil Hwarang (성실화랑) is a store that sells eco-friendly products to alert people about the danger. It started in 2011, and has spread throughout Korea, sometimes surprising and sometimes amazing people who see the products. This project's main goal is to introduce the endangered animals to people by collaborations with other corporations.
         Around the world, there are about 40,000 endangered animals, and about 16,000 of them are threatened to extinction. Some that the Sungsil Hwarang portrayed include Mandrill Monkeys, Fennec Foxes, Siberian Tigers, Lesser Pandas, and Siau Island Tarsiers. Fennec Foxes live in Sahara Desert, the Sinai Peninsula, and the Arabian Peninsula in Northern Africa, and needs constant attention, but is not in the state of extinction.

        So now, before you think about a paper sup, think about a mug cup. And before you think about buying another plastic bag, think about buying an eco bag for long-term use. It will make a polar bear smile.

By Cindy Kim

Edible Insects

It is said that the population of Earth will approximately reach around nine billion people by 2050. Obviously, we would need to increase our food production as the population on Earth sky rockets. A difficult task lays ahead of us as we have to produce surpluses with diminishing resources. However, adding insects to our diet may be the solution to our arising problem. Eating insects are beneficial to our livelihoods as they support our health, environment, and our economy.

Surprisingly insects produce a lot of the necessary nutrients a human body needs. It contains various amino acids, vitamins, proteins, and several other important minerals. Edible insects may act as alternatives to expensive meat such as chicken, beef, pork, and fish. For example, adult grasshoppers have similar levels of protein when it's compared to raw beef. Locusts and grasshoppers produce 13-28 grams of protein per 100 gram of fresh weight, while a cattle produces 19-26 grams of protein per 100 grams of fresh weight. Insects can also be produced more efficiently as they require less time to grow and require less resources to grow. They can even be fed off of organic waste while livestocks require significant time and effort.

Insects also emit less greenhouse gases compared to livestocks. Livestocks are responsible for 18% of greenhouse gas emissions. Raising insects and reducing the production of livestocks will significantly benefit our environment. It is also important to notice the rise of food prices as the cost to feed animals increased. This especially takes a toll on the farmers, which is why the prices of meat are increasing globally. On the other hand, a cricket costs 12 times less to feed than a cattle.

 In the Western world, many people view insects as disgusting and unwanted creatures. In order to introduce insects to our diet, it is important to shift this cultural norm. Insects are already a traditional diet in some regions. However, it would be effective for the Western world to make this diet mainstream. Insects don't have to be eaten fresh as many people are displeased by the texture and looks. Insects can be crushed and disguised in regular food so that the consumer would not notice at all.

The Papillon's Kitchen in Seoul is an example of a restaurant that includes insects in various types of food.

By Daniel Kim

Papillon's Kitchen Visit

  Recently, I visited a cafe named "Papillon's Kitchen" to take a glimpse of how people are now starting to make food out of insects. I did not realize in the beginning but later I learned that using insects for food had special purpose. There are hidden values in using insects rather than other common food sources. The first reason is that insects contain approximately 2 times as much protein than meats such as beef, pork, or chicken. Secondly, it is proven to be more healthy than meat. Insects consists of many different types of protein such as essential amino acids and cellulose. These types of protein cannot be spotted in regular meat. Next, the breeding period for insects are significantly less than cows, pigs, and chicken. It only requires 2-8 months of care whereas meats mandate years of care. In addition, it requires much less resources to take care of insects than meat animals. The main difference is the amount of water needed to raise these animals. Water is quickly becoming a scarce resource worldwide, and insects provide a good alternative to food source that does not require much water.  In addition, using insects as food source reduces CO2 output by 3x compared to regular meat which further enhances environment. Lastly, it requires less money to take care of insects compared to meat. The world population is growing rapidly so the world will face the food shortage in the future. So edible insects can add significant value to food resources. Due to all these reasons, its evident that it is more efficient to utilize insects instead of meat. When I saw and tasted the food made out of insects, I was astonished that it was identical to normal food. First of all, there was no difference in the appearance of the food. Secondly, the taste was extremely similar to food without any insects added.
Overall, it was an interesting experience and I realized that this area of alternative food source will need more attention in order to make our environment better.

 

By Justin Chung