Whether you are living on a fully off-grid homestead, or in an apartment in Wisconsin, there are ways all of us can be a part of the green movement.
Think about what you do on a daily basis as this is what can add up overtime. From the use of reusable grocery bags, to your afternoon walk (rather than drive) to the coffee shop, the choices we make everyday can make a difference. Even getting outside and in touch with nature is usually good for you. It can also a way to appreciate the environment we still have.
We moved from Maryland to Wisconsin last Fall. In that time I went from being a commuter driving 1.5hrs one direction to taking public transit for the 15min bus ride + 15min walk to work. This kind of dramatic shift has reduced my carbon footprint, however not everyone can make a change like this.
So what can you do aside from living in a town where you don’t have to drive?
Your food choices every day impact the amount of resources needed to support you.
Although, you may be thinking “shouldn’t this be under the nutrition category, I came here to read about sustainability.” Well, the resources required to put food on our plates is scarcely talked about and the higher up the food chain that our meals come from, the more they require.
BBC’s Food Calculator let’s you input regularly consumed foods to provide you with an estimate of water, greenhouse gas emissions, petroleum and electricity consumption. The above example illustrates how resource intensive even a small amount of animal protein each week can be.
Another way to visualize the resource cost of our food choices is shown below. This chart follows the supply chain from initial land use to the final packaging of a food product. Choosing items with low greenhouse gas emissions will help to reduce your carbon footprint.
Can we make an impact?
If sustainability is the goal then we should each do our best to eat as low on the food chain as possible. This diet would be a Whole Food Plant Based Diet, centered around Whole Grains, Legumes, Vegetables, and Fruits.
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Resources:
BBC Food Calculator
GHG Impact of Food
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