Green Guys Media

(Green) Food for Thought

There are so many aspects that go into “greening” your life —from transportation to recycling to solar power to what we choose to eat. That’s right, what we choose to eat. And it’s not as simple as boycotting your local fast food joints that don’t use environmentally sound practices — it turns out that the food choices we make everyday have a significant impact on the environment. 

One of the best ways to personally combat global warming is to start a “low carbon diet”. The global food system contributes about 1/3 of the world’s unnatural (as in, caused by us) greenhouse gases. This number adds up when you think of the transportation needed to ship foods, the clearing of forest areas to make room for grazing animals, agricultural practices that release nitrous oxide, and surprisingly, the vast quantities of methane gas that livestock produce.

So, the number one thing you can do is to eat LOCAL. Visit your area’s farmer’s market and stock up on fresh fruits, veggies and food that does not have to be shipped long distances —another huge advantage of this is that the food actually tastes better!  If you can’t make it to a farmer’s market, you can help by eating fruits and vegetables that are in season where you live. That way, your food won’t have more frequent flyer miles than you do. 

As a meat-eater (and cheese-lover) myself, the second step is a little harder, but doable.  Did you know that cows, sheep, and goats are ruminant animals? Because of their special digestive systems, they can convert otherwise unusable plant materials into nutritious food and fiber. Sounds helpful, but unfortunately, produces methane, which comes out as burps or farts — really. So, another helpful step on the way to a low carbon diet is to cut back on your consumption of beef and dairy. Vegetarians – you are already ahead of the game – woohoo! And what about chicken you may ask? Chicken is a-okay and not a methane-producing animal  (Though, I would encourage anyone to stand up to animal mistreatment and buy cage-free).

So there you are – two tips to get you started. And here is a handy, and fun, way to assess your food-related carbon footprint. Food management company, Bon Appétit, a leader in the large-scale sustainable food initiative, has created a carbon calculator to help you reduce that footprint of yours!

By Kim Sadler, Los Angeles, CA

Image courtesy of www.nicholsoncartoons.com.au