How To Eat Without Harming The Planet
You don’t have to be a environmental scientist to know that we are having a huge influence on the state of our planet and people are only starting to take action now. Twenty years ago, very few people even thought about where their food, tableware or other products were sourced from. They just paid their money and got what they wanted. This attitude is not sustainable however, and a shift in thinking is needed especially in these times of weak economy and global warming. A healthy approach can start at home by being considerate about something as simple as your next meal.
Local Producers. We have become complacent about being able to buy things like bananas all year round and having access to every spice under the sun. The fact this produce is sourced thousands of miles away has not long been in people’s consciousness and the impacts are large. Not only does the transport release vast amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere, due to burning fuel and having to use a food and wine cooler to keep the produce chilled all the way, but also local food suppliers struggle to compete with low foreign costs. If you don’t want to see local businesses going under, make sure you support them and shop local as much as you can.
Fight Packaging. The amount of packaging that you will find on many supermarket products these days is gratuitous. A single cake might be individually wrapped, inside a small box with a plastic place-holder, which is wrapped in cellophane and transported inside a cardboard box, with the other cake boxes. More often than not this packaging is unnecessary, so try and avoid those products that go over the top with it.
Ethically Sourced Accessories. More than just the food you buy can influence the planet when you eat. Everything from the cutlery you use to the little wine gifts you buy others can have an impact and you should think carefully before making a choice. Ask yourself where this ware has come from, is it something that could be made from a more sustainable textile, and is this a disposable product when I could be purchasing a reclaimable one? Disposable chopsticks for example cause thousands of trees to be cut down every day, when a good reusable pair can last a lifetime.
Tags: environment, ethics, food, planet, sustainable