When we think about greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), our first thought might be of factories pumping out toxic fumes, or we lay the blame on all the vehicles on the road, but a big part of the solution to reducing carbon emissions might be in rethinking what you put on your plate.
In the book "Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs & Wear Cows" by Melanie Joy, PhD, she explores the harmful effects of a high meat content diet on the planet, if we really know where our meat comes from, and the way farm animals are treated, we might give this type of diet a second look.
Indeed many of us are blissfully unaware that worldwide food production outpaces the generation of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) of even the transport sector, accounting for about 18% of global totals.
For us in The Bahamas, there are really no reliable statistics to break down exactly what foods we are eating here, but worldwide the trend is toward increased consumption of meat, specifically beef, that is often seen as a status symbol. However, whether it is the "beef" scandals in the United Kingdom and USA highlighting the inclusion of horse meat in the supply or the E-Coli contamination of beef, it's always a good time to take another look at what is on our plate.
Unfortunately much of the meat we consume these days is produced on CAFOs or Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations which reportedly result in animals being crammed into very tight quarters, given feed and pumped up with hormones and antibiotics so that they can be slaughtered earlier and also come to market looking bigger.
In addition to meat consumption we seem to be bigger consumers of processed foods and fast foods with dubious list of ingredients and lots of packaging, which in turn adds to the burden on our landfills.
There has been a slow but steady increase in the amount of programs at the national level promoting healthier lifestyles, inclusive of the drive towards eating foods closer to their natural state. All of which also tend to help the environment.
This of course is easier said than done, because processed and fast foods are far cheaper than fresh fruits and vegetables. Indeed this is a state of affairs that we have accepted as fact, but anything can be subject to change.
But this is a case where one simple change can make a difference. Just try for this week cutting your meat portions by half.
Remember, mark your calendar, Earth Hour is Saturday, March 29 from 8:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
o Send questions or comments to sbrown@graphitebahamas.com.
Sonia Brown is the principal of Graphite Engineering Ltd. and is a registered professional engineer.
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