Food: Can it contribute to global warming

Okay, until now we knew that global warming is caused by deforestation, co2 emitted from vehicles, hazardous chemicals from industries et al. But not many of us knew that the food we consume causes global warming. It was found that the average American creates 2.8 tons of CO2 emissions each year by eating - even more than the 2.2 tons each person generates by driving.

But, how's food related to global warming? Most of the food products are imported from places which are thousands of miles away from the local area. Imagine, the amount of fuel that is spent on transporting food products is far more than producing the products!

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Take a look at some more hard hitting facts of how food could cause global warming:

* Livestock production is responsible for 18% of greenhouse gas emissions;it takes about three times more energy to raise animals in feed lots or factory pens than to raise free-range and grass-fed meat.

*80% of the energy used by the food system comes not from growing food, but from transporting and processing it.

* Most bananas have traveled 3,000 miles in high-speed refrigerated ships to reach an American breakfast plate.

*Americans throw away 40 million plastic water bottles every day.

*Growing crops takes energy, but turning those crops into a box of crackers or a frozen dinner entree can take just as much energy, if not more.

*Fossil fuels are burned and global warming pollution is created in almost every step of conventional food production, from the operation of planting, harvesting and irrigation equipment to the production, transportation, and application of pesticides and fertilizers.

It is insane to sit down to lunch in Los Angeles and drink water that has traveled 5,000 miles from Fiji

says Helene York, director of the Bon Appetit Management Company Foundation

How can you contribute?

* Reduce food waste

* Reduce meat consumption

* Eat locally produced food

* Drink domestically bottled water

*Use minimally processed and packaged food

Each one of us can help reduce global warming by adopting the above mentioned simple measures.

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