Download Climate foodchat - SanDiego350.org

Climate chat:
How to cook a planet
…..or not.
US Greenhouse Gas Emissions
World Greenhouse Gas Sources
IPCC 2007
Vicious Circle
Farming produces
greenhouse gases, which
leads to global warming
More land used
for farming leads
to more global
warming.
Global warming
impedes food
production. Poorer
growing conditions
Because of poorer growing
conditions more agricultural
land is needed to farm
Because of Global warming, we will need more land to
produce the same amount of food.
Effects of GHG on Agriculture
• Crops
o While CO2 & higher temps may increase yields…
• Overall lowered crop yields
o
o
o
o
o
Heat waves
Drought
Flooding
Extreme weather
Increased threats from
parasites and diseases
Food Production
• Accounts for 19 – 29% of Greenhouse gases
• 80% of agricultural emissions are from animal
production, including animal methane emissions
(14-18% of total GHGs – compare to all transportation @ 13%)
•
•
Most deforestation is due to agriculture (livestock
production accounts for 70% of it)
Agriculture requires energy for:
o
o
o
o
Soil management, fertilization, pest/herb-icides
Farm machinery/irrigation
Transportation
Agriculture is responsible
for most methane and
nitrous oxide emissions
CO2 Emissions by food
Source: Environmental Working Group
You think the human population
is increasing?
The worlds meat supply
is growing faster than
the population.
As we become
wealthier, we
consume more meat.
Source: UN Food & Agriculture Organization
To put it in perspective…
It takes energy equivalent to 31 KWH to
produce one pound of Beef
The average California home
uses 22 KWH of electricity per
day to run their home.
To compare:
1.4 days of
electricity for
your home
=
1 pound
of beef
Is beef the hummer of the food world?
5,000 gallons of water are required
to produce one pound of beef
The same as having 10, fifty
gallon water barrels filled. Or one
pound of beef.
Another comparison. 5,000 one
gallon water jugs, or one pound
of beef.
Is meat is like a food factory in
reverse?
Start with a large of amount
of animal food
Animal feed fed to livestock
End result, very little food
produced
Meat, a bad investment, 15 units of feed to produce
one unit of food
Food Waste
• 40% of food produced is wasted.
• For the average US household of four, food waste
translates to $1,350 - $2,275 per year
• Additional cost (and GHG’s) in disposing of food in
landfills – Landfill costs, refuse pickup
• Rotting food creates methane gas, 21 times more
potent a greenhouse gas than CO2
Where food waste occurs
Multiplied losses
• Because of waste, more food than is consumed
must be produced
• On average 16.7 pounds of food must be
produced for 10 pounds of food to be
consumed (40% waste)
• Consume less, less waste.
Other Areas of Food Emissions
• 24% - Packaging and Processing
o 90% of food eaten is processed
• 12% - Transportation
o Food Miles – Railway 10X more efficient than trucking.
Shipping is most efficient. Air is least efficient.
o Local food can be lower GHG, but not necessarily as
food grown closer to home can be less sustainably
grown, transportation is often a small % of overall
energy, and freight can be very efficient.
• Organic – potential to be lower-GHG
• Other: transportation to and from food store,
cooking, refrigeration, etc.
How can we
lower our carbon
“foodprint”?
1.Eat less
(Stop eating at 80% full)
2. Eat less meat
Eat less meat in whatever way works for
you. Cut back in each meal, eat lower on
the food chain (chicken v. beef), or try
Weekday vegetarian or Meatless Mondays.
Just eat healthy?
Stir-Fry: 3 ways
Veggie
Beef
Chicken
6 lbs
31 lbs
11 lbs
3. Eat fewer processed
and packaged foods,
fewer “empty calories”
4. Increase efficiency and
decrease waste
Shopping
Thinking about where your food comes from…
• Bring a list so you buy only what you need.
• Is the food unprocessed?
• Is it un- or minimally packaged? thestoryofstuffwater
• Is it seasonal?
• Is food organic?
• Is it nutritious?
• How was it transported?
• Was it grown sustainably?
• How far is the store/market?
In the home
• Plan your meals
• Eat your leftovers
• Don’t let food expire
• Cook multiple dishes in the oven simultaneously
• Cut down on frozen foods
• Keep your Refrigerator/Freezer full
• Conserve water
• Eat all of the food (e.g., make soup from scraps)
• Eat at home more
Home Grown
• Home Gardens: less water than
a lawn; can control oil-based
inputs (fertilizer, pesticides)
• Fruit Trees: low-water,
appropriate for climate
• Grow in the home: sprouting,
potted food plants
• Chickens: Produce eggs;
Consume food scraps
• Also: Everyone can compost
BONUS!
A low-GHG diet is
• Healthier for you & your family
• Better for the environment
• Kinder to animals
• Delicious
What’s Next?
How each of us can make a difference…
• Make changes in our own lives and homes
• Share your knowledge and your passion on climate
change with family, friends, co-workers, neighbors
• Let your elected officials and the media know that
climate change requires immediate action
• Volunteer with an organization working on climate
change
What’s SanDiego350.org?
• We work to increase awareness of climate change and
advocate for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
• All-volunteer San Diego organization loosely affiliated
with 350.org
• Started up in 2011 after successful 350.org “Moving
Planet” event in Balboa Park
• We believe that everyone, regardless of their skills or
time available, has a role in this movement.
Education and
outreach
Photo: Earthfair
2012
Advocacy and lobbying
for stronger climate
policies
Photos: Lobbying members of
Congress in summer, 2012 to
eliminate fossil fuel subsidies
(Susan Davis, above, Duncan
Hunter, right)
Organizing rallies and protests to bring
attention to the issues
Photos: Keystone pipeline rally Feb
2013; protest of SDG&E’s proposed
solar tax Jan 2012
We hope you’ll join us!
Monthly newsletter
Monthly general
membership meetings
third Tuesdays 6:45-8:15
pm (next is on March 19th
at St. Paul’s Cathedral, 6th
and Nutmeg)
Teams
THANK YOU!!
• World Resources
Simulation Center
• Ocean Beach
People’s Co-op
• Sierra Club San
Diego
• YOU