Enviro-mental

Happy Earth Day!

And in the spirit of an “Earth Month”, I’ve been leaving my computer off more and more…at least that’s my excuse for the sparse blog posts lately. But it is true. With nice weather finally here I’ve found much more to do than play around on the Internet.

Getting out and about has also showed me all the new “Green” products there are. Previously dark store windows have sprung natural spring cleaning products (classics like Ecover and newbies like Method brand from Shopper’s Drug Mart); reusable containers and green pet care products. Outside, I see car sharing; people walking, biking and blading; a stand with fresh fruit and veggies from the same continent I’m standing on. It’s refreshing, in so many different ways.

Behind the clarity of sunshine, however, I see a battle brewing between eco-friendly and green.

That’s the best way I can put it. There finally seems to be a consensus among businesses, the government and the public that we need to be more environmentally accountable. It’s how to do it that is the problem. Should we focus on cars or packaging?

Corporate and industry support is great, but it seems some are putting on a green front to gain business.

For example, pretend you’re in dire need of a special ingredient for an outdoor garden party tonight. You can buy either locally-produced but wrapped in Styrofoam, or imported but packaged in biodegradable wrapping.

This past year I took a course in Food and Nutrition Policy. It really opened my eyes and got me thinking about the future – urban agriculture, sustainability…these were all new terms to me.

But one of the most memorable items came from a professor who introduced the term local trap: the assumption that local means better.

So now I try to remember that there are costs and benefits to every technology; every product and every purchasing decision. For now, I find it incredibly difficult to decipher which choice is best – but at least now there are choices.

Researchers in Texas have picked up where the U.S. government left off more than 10 years ago: they’re trying to grow algae for fuel.

Algae is a quick-growing plant that gets all the energy it needs from the sun, making it a renewable source. Growing algae on vertical gardens reduces the risk of contamination from other species, and decreases evaporation of the water used in ponds, algae’s natural habitat.

There are more than 65,000 algae species, with an estimated thousands more yet to be identified.  Some species contain more than 50% oil, or lipid, which could be turned into biofuel.

When the U.S. government abandoned research on microalgae it was thought algae could never compete with oil as a fuel source. But with the price per barrel of oil rising by a factor of five since 1996, algae is being given a second look.

Some high-lipid species of microalgae are also used to produce vegan fish-free omega-3 fatty acids, especially docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which is essential for healthy growth and development in children. In adults, omega-3s benefit brain function and cardiovascular health.

For vegetarians who do not eat fish, algae is the only known direct source for DHA. Otherwise, their bodies must manufacture it from other omega-3s, which is an inefficient process.

Not too long ago bamboo was being touted as the new renewable eco-friendly fabric for everything from clothing to rugs and floorboards.

Well, algae is the new bamboo - renewable, plant-based, ecologically grown and harvested. With its multitude of benefits for fuel and food, it’s safe to say we’ll be seeing a lot more of it, very soon.

Does throwing out food negatively impact the environment?

Awareness Raising

One report on overconsumption, food waste and the environment comes from the United Kingdom and is posted on meatprocess.com. It details the 2008 part of a lecture series given by “industry veteran and farmer” Lord Christopher Haskins.

In simple terms, Haskins says we waste too much energy and food, and that we eat too much. He seems to be one of the first to link the seemingly distinct issues of climate change and food supply, saying that if we rescued wasted food we could solve the “Malthusian problem” of population growth outstripping food production capabilities.

How much Food is Wasted?

• Haskins’ guess is that about 50% of food goes to waste.
• According to the article, in the UK about 30% of food bought in shops is wasted in homes.
• A February 9th Toronto Star article cites U.S. research that 14% of food is wasted.
  

Haskins apparently blames wastage in stores on overstocking and either on customers that are too picky about buying perfect-looking produce, or stores think that they will be and don’t put the bruised stuff out. And what about “two for one” deals?

I thought the era of “Supersize Me” foods was over.

The Bottom Line

Not only are we growing, transporting, and processing food using huge energy inputs, a large percentage of that food is going to waste.