“South Korea’s highest mountain is facing environmental damage from an unexpected source – instant noodles,” reports CNN:
The National Park Office of Mount Halla has started a campaign to encourage hikers not to dump ramyun broth on the mountain or in its streams in order to preserve a “clean environment,” according to a press release.
Mount Halla, measuring 1,947 meters (1.2 miles) tall, is the country’s highest mountain and located on popular vacation destination Jeju Island. In South Korea, it’s trendy for hikers to bring ramyun – a type of instant noodles served in a disposable cup – along with them to eat during the day.
Banners put up around the mountain read “let’s preserve the clean Mount Halla and pass it on to descendants as it is,” with signs urging the hikers to use only half of the instant soup and water.
Smoking, leaving food and trash, unauthorized entry and drinking are prohibited at the mountain, and those who violate the rules can face penalties of up to 2,000,000 won ($1,442.15).
“Ramen broth contains a lot of salt, so discarding it along the valley’s water stream makes it impossible for aquatic insects to live in contaminated water,” the National Park Office wrote in a Facebook post….Mount Halla is part of the UNESCO-listed Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes heritage site. Last year, 923,680 people visited the mountain, according to government statistics.
In other food news, researchers are working on lab-grown meat that has less impact on the environment than raising livestock. A company recently re-created woolly mammoth meatballs.
A company is using microbes and air to make a meat substitute.
Ten years ago, scientists came up with the world’s first lab-grown beef burger. Last August, Bloomberg News reported that “a Dutch startup” was using “stem-cell technology” to “rapidly grow slaughter-free sausages,” reports Bloomberg News.
Meanwhile, researchers have genetically modified chickens to produce a chicken that lays non-allergenic eggs. So people who are allergic to eggs may finally be able to enjoy them.
A company in Okanogan has genetically engineered apples to come up with a non-browning apple (that is, an apple whose slices don’t get brown when exposed to the air).
A mutant tomato could save harvests around the world. Farmers have found they can increase crop yields by using electrical stimulation on their crops.
Scientists recently developed genetically-modified bananas to keep the principal variety of banana from being wiped out by a dangerous blight. They also engineered bionic silkworms that spin fibers six times stronger than Kevlar.
Scientists have genetically engineered a cow that produces human insulin in its milk, which could one day make insulin much cheaper and more abundant.
Lab-grown beef might be better for the environment than naturally-raised beef. But that is probably not true for other meats that are more efficient to produce naturally, such as chicken. A study concluded that because of the energy consumption needed to scale up cultured meat, its carbon footprint could be several times that of conventional chicken.
Guinea pigs are a much more efficient source of protein, per acre, than cattle, generating four times as much meat per acre. Guinea pigs also generate less greenhouse gas emissions per pound of meat.
Robots with artificial intelligence are spreading on Japanese farms. In the U.S., farming robots now use artificial intelligence to kill 100,000 weeds per hour. Drones with artificial intelligence will make farming easier.
