Green Counsel: Food

Ten Steps Toward Sustainability -- Step 8: Bar "Formula" Restaurants

Fast food is often unhealthy, over-processed and its processing, packing and transportation create huge amounts of waste and CO2 emissions. A small but growing number of communities across the country have banned so-called "formula" restaurants. The New York Times reported September 24 that NYC Councilman Joel Rivera, Chairman of the Health Committee, wants to use New York zoning laws to limit the number of fast food restaurants in the City. New York City also became the first U.S. city to ban trans fats in restaurants.

Eating Oil and Passing Gas

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If you thought the food chain's biggest contribution to climate change was the methane emitted from animals, guess again. It turns out that approximately 20% our fossil fuel consumption goes toward feeding ourselves. According to Michael Pollan, author of the excellent new book, "The Omnivore's Dilemma," the most worrisome aspect of the current U.S. food system is its reliance on fossil fuels.

Pollan says that this happens in three places. First, farms use enormous quantities of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer, which is made from natural gas and a great deal of electricity.

Second, commodity crops (such as corn, soybeans and wheat) are processed so intensely that we add seven calories of fossil-fuel energy for every one calorie of food produced. According to Pollan, "It's a very intensive process to take the corn and turn it into the high-fructose corn syrup, or take the corn and turn it into the chicken, and the chicken into the Chicken McNugget. As we move further away from eating food to eating highly processed, complicated food products -- as we move from yogurt to Go-GURT -- it takes more energy, and more energy in the packaging."

Third, our food arrives from all around the world and in the United States travels an average of 1,500 miles before it arrives at our plate.

An Interview with Michael Pollan appear on Grist. Or listen to Tery Gross's interview with Michael Pollan on Fresh Air.

05/31/2006 in Books, Food, Global Warming, Oil | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (1)

Local Rules! The Feds Drool :-(

Local policy can make a huge difference in creating a sustainable economy (and is probably the only way to do it). The San Luis Obisbo (CA) City Council just announced that 50% of new homes will be required to have solar panels by 2020. http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispotribune/news/breaking_news/13990488.htm

Compare this to what our friends in Washington are doing. The House of Representatives will vote on March 2 for a "national food uniformity" labeling law that will prevent states and localities from requiring labelling that specific foods or beverages are likely to cause cancer, birth defects, allergic reactions, or mercury poisoning. The bill would also prevent localities from requiring labelling on genetically engineered foods and ingredients.

http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/oca/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=2752

03/01/2006 in Federal Government, Food, Solar, State and Local Government | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)