Climate Change Food Calculator

[Aloka]

This is from the BBC website:

Climate change food calculator: What's your diet's carbon footprint?

Avoiding meat and dairy products is one of the biggest ways to reduce your environmental impact, according to recent scientific studies.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-46459714

..........

[Olderon]

Thanks, Aloka.

Article failed to make clear the costs associated with transportation, preservation & processing, which increases carbon footprint across all food categories. Otherwise, they did a fair job of covering the issue.

Also needing consideration is nutritional values per all greenhouse gas environmental loading, including water vapor during cooking and other food processing.

Ron

[philg]

Yes. Part of the problem is that food produce is not seasonal any more. The same fruit and vegetable products are available all year, so either have to be transported half way round the world or are produced more locally using a lot of energy.

[Doshin]

(haven't read the article, just the comments in this thread)

It is not trivial.

Here in Denmark for instance, people tend to buy imported tomatoes (primarily spanish), because they don't heat their greenhouses (as much at least), thinking "smaller carbon footprint". But when one takes transportation into consideration, it would make more sense to buy danish grown tomatoes...

I do think one should think more in "how to make a small carbon footprint", rather then "I need X, which 'brand' has the smallest carbon foot print".

For instance, in Denmark I do think it's insane expecting/considering to be able to buy fresh strawberries and raspberries all year round. When it's only possible to grow in part of July and start August, whithout "helping" nature...

Just my thoughts...

_/\_
Doshin

[justusryans]

(haven't read the article, just the comments in this thread)

It is not trivial.

Here in Denmark for instance, people tend to buy imported tomatoes (primarily spanish), because they don't heat their greenhouses (as much at least), thinking "smaller carbon footprint". But when one takes transportation into consideration, it would make more sense to buy danish grown tomatoes...

I do think one should think more in "how to make a small carbon footprint", rather then "I need X, which 'brand' has the smallest carbon foot print".

For instance, in Denmark I do think it's insane expecting/considering to be able to buy fresh strawberries and raspberries all year round. When it's only possible to grow in part of July and start August, whithout "helping" nature...

Just my thoughts...

_/\_
Doshin

Yes Doshin, I quite agree. Here in the U. S. A a lot can be grown in various parts of the country throughout most of the the growing season, but it’s a big country.
You can pick up a load of fruit on the West coast and 4-5 days later have them on the East coast.That’s in a (18)eighteen wheel semi truck that gets 7-8 Mpg, towing a 53’ trailer with a refrigerator unit in the front of the trailer to keep whatever you are carrying the proper temperature.
So even though it may be (grown) in USA it doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a very large carbon footprint.
This is why I try to buy local and support local farmers markets when I am able, at least you know what you’re getting and where it came from.

Thank you
Mike