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Lakewood Times

Lakewood Times

Lakewood Times

    No More Coffee?

    No More Coffee?

    Coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the world, experts say that it can even be dated back to 800 A.D. If you have not heard of the energetic drink then you don’t need to worry about this article. Coffee beans are actually seeds that are found on the pits of the cherry-like berries found on flowering shrubs, we simple call them beans because they resemble the shape of the bean.

    More than 100 types of coffee trees grow naturally in forests, including two used for the coffee we drink, but scientists are worried. About one in five of the world’s plants are threatened with extinction and about 60% of 124 known species of coffee are on the edge of extinction. The history of coffee cultivation show us that wild coffee allows farmed coffee to be sustainable.

    Coffees natural population is likely to shrink by up to 50% or more by 2088 because of climate change alone. Scientists hope to harness genes that can help coffee plants survive in the future, amid climate change and emerging diseases that attack coffee trees.

    We talked to Clare Morrissey, not only is she an 8th grader at Harding Middle School. She is also a young coffee drinker. We asked her what she would do in the future if coffee was not as accessible or maybe even extinct. Clare stated “It never occurred to me that coffee would even be endangered. I would hope that people would to something to preserve that wonderful drink.” She then went on to say “I know so many people who drink coffee and I don’t plan on stopping, that only means we need to step up and do something.”

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