A world without chocolate is not a world we want to live in. No more chocolate cake, no more chocolate ice cream, no more brownies?! Say it ain't so!
Photo: iStockphoto
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
If there's one thing kids, pregnant ladies and stressed out parents can agree on, it's that a world without chocolate is a world we don't want to live in.
A report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in America says that changes in global climate will make it impossible to grow cacao trees by the year 2050. It's now 2018 and that means we may find ourselves telling our grandkids about the olden days when we had this delicious substance called chocolate. And then the little ones will giggle and be like, "Grandma/Grandpa, you're so old!" as a single tear rolls down our cheek. *sob*
Luckily, science is here to (hopefully!) save the day. Mars—the candy company, not the planet—is partnering with researchers to create a genetically modified cacao tree that can withstand the changing climate.
Their plan is to use the gene-splicing tool CRISPR to alter the DNA of a new generation of trees so that they won't wilt or rot as temperatures rise in regions along the equator where cacao trees currently thrive.
CRISPR has been a controversial topic in recent years because of the idea of using its precise DNA-splicing abilities to create "designer babies." However, Jennifer Doudna, the geneticist who invented CRISPR, told Business Insider she thinks her tool's most profound use will be its application to the food industry, not baby-making.
Now, here at Today's Parent we really, really, really love chocolate. So here's hoping the scientists can get this figured out sooner rather than later. They've already given us a gift in the form of calling for a glitter ban, but now they're here to save us from a world without chocolate. Forget Marvel, these are the real superheroes.
Read more: 6 quick and easy chocolate recipes 14 fun science experiments for kids
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Kevin is an associate editor for Canadian Business in Toronto, Ontario. More of their work can be found in MSN Canada, Chatelaine and This Magazine.