Forks Over Hybrids?
What if there was something YOU could do at least three or more times every day to lessen the impact of Climate Change? And what if it didn’t cost any more money, maybe even saved you money, was easy to access and made you healthier? What if it was as close as your fork and was as simple as deciding what and how to eat?
Most peer-reviewed science and scientists (97%+) agree that humans are the main cause of global warming. Several documentaries, books and movements have made us all aware of how we can lessen our climate impact by reducing our transportation and energy consumption. But what if the truth, however inconvenient, is that our collective food choices actually matter more than what we drive or how we power our homes.
Food Climate Connection.
The focus of Encouraging Greens has always been about making better food choices, and the great news is that a whole food plant-based diet is not only good for our health, but for the planet as well (and the animals of course). For the past few months, I have been working with a inspiring group of local students on a Climate Action Project to create awareness in our community about food and climate change. This summer we read several books, websites and research articles. We learned that animal agriculture is actually the #1 cause of climate change, more than all transportation combined. With livestock’s impact estimates ranging from 18% (UN Food Report 2006, Livestock’s Long Shadow) to 51% Worldwatch 2009 study) depending on how things like the transportation of livestock is reported. Here are just a few examples of the details.
- Animal agriculture is responsible for up to 91% of the destruction of the Amazon Rainforest, with 1-2 additional acres of rainforest being cleared every second. In fact, every quarter pounder we eat destroys 55 square feet of the rain forest. Our rainforest is the lungs of our planet and we are at less than 20% of its original capacity.
- To feed a person for a year, a vegan only requires 1/6th acre, a vegetarian needs 3x that or 1/2 acre and a meat-eater needs 18x or 3 acres. For those who choose organic meats, raising organic livestock, which may be better for other reasons, actually has a larger carbon FOODprint due to the amount of land and resources needed per animal.
- If everyone in the US ate no meat or cheese just one day a week for a year, such as those practicing Meatless Monday, it would be the equivalent of taking 7.6 million cars off the road
- Though Carbon Dioxide is the most often referenced greenhouse gas, Methane actually has 23 times the global warming effect of CO2 and 40% of all methane produced by humans is from livestock flatulence and manure.
Lower Carbon FOODprint.
While we should all continue to save energy and resources wherever possible, the ability to lessen our impact on the climate can start as soon as our next meal. So what can we do?
1. Eat less animals and more plants.
A great place to start is what you eat.
- Incorporate more plant-based meals into your diet, eating mostly vegetables, grains, greens and legumes.
- Eat less/no meat or fish of any kind, dairy, eggs. Avoid anything with a mother or a face.
- While eating a vegan diet is a good starting point, eating whole foods that are plant-based are much better. Less processed food, packaging, added salt, fat and sugar, more affordable too.
- If you want to learn more about plant-based ways to eat and thrive join us for some great plant-based nutrition/ cooking classes on Long Island this fall (shameless plug)
2. Eat local and seasonal.
We all know how flavorless and/or expensive some vegetables can be when they travel long distances, or are out of season. Eating local doesn’t just mean eating at restaurants that are within walking distance, although that would save on transportation. It also means trying to eat food that is produced near where you live. Finding local sources will cut dramatically down on the transportation needs and improve freshness. A fascinating book about where tomatoes come from – how there are picked weeks before they are ripe, travel thousands of miles and are gassed before ending up in the local grocery – Tomatoland, is one I would recommend. It is one of the first that I read on this subject.
- Shop at local farmers markets, especially those that are all organic markets, join CSAs, and support community gardens.
- Try your hand to grow your own food at home, maybe in a Square Foot Garden.
- Find a local farm to table restaurant and enjoy food close to home. Of course my preference would be one that is plant-based for so many reasons, especially for your health
3. Don’t waste food.
With 40% of the food produced in the US wasted every day, each of us can do more to waste less.
- Buy ugly vegetables. Before food gets to your table, it may be tossed for being damaged or less than perfect. The color may be inconsistent or the shape of the vegetable is all wrong. (Reminds me of the Land of Misfit Toys in the Rudolf cartoon). But it is equally delicious. Ask your grocer if they have fresh misshapen vegetables that they toss and help them find a home. Check out local food recovery organizations that gather perfectly good food and share it with others and help them connect to local sources of ugly vegetables.
- Only buy or order what you know you will eat at stores or restaurants. Before thinking that would mean more trips to the market, be menu smart. Buy fresh for the start of the week and buy frozen for the end of the week. One trip and vegetables are always fresh. Go to dinner with a friend and share an entree or bring home left overs for lunch. Ensure there is no waste.
- Learn how to store food. Not every fruit or vegetable requires the same environment. Anyone who has tried putting a perfectly good tomato in the fridge soon regrets it as the taste becomes mushy. There are many good resources you can find for proper storing of fresh veggies, grains, condiments and spices. I cover this in my classes for each of the ingredients we use for each recipe.
- Flexible menu planning. Ever gotten excited about some new recipes or the low cost of seasonal vegetables (yes, that is a thing) and get carried away? We fill our fridge with fresh vegetables only to find ourselves mid-week with some that are starting to wilt. Don’t toss that food just yet, improvise. For example, wilting kale can be added to a soup, or wilted spinach to a tofu lasagna. Even boiling greens in water for 5 minutes can make for a side dish and the water can be used as the base for a nice lentil soup. Mise en place is another great idea, to precook a few ingredients ready to be added to a future dish with ease. Fading mushrooms added to sautéed onions with broth can later top a pizza or flavor a tofu scramble the next day. Get creative.
- Compost what is left over from your food prep. Most vegetable trimmings can end up in compost to make more soil for your garden. Another tip is to add any leaves and stems from your food prep to a zip lock bag and store it in the freezer. Once full, put in pot of water and make broth. Save the broth for later use and then compost the vegetables.
A plant-based lifestyle is good for our health, the animals and our planet. As we face more powerful storms, extreme temperatures, and melting ice caps, we have a choice every time we reach for something to eat – are we going to make things better or worse for the earth? I choose to take a plant-based bite out of climate change.
