Comments on: What is *earth-friendly*? Or *good-for-you*? http://lifewiththree.myette.org/2008/06/21/what-is-earth-friendly-or-good-for-you/ Tue, 06 Jan 2009 04:55:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: michigoose http://lifewiththree.myette.org/2008/06/21/what-is-earth-friendly-or-good-for-you/#comment-41 michigoose Sat, 21 Jun 2008 22:32:32 +0000 http://lifewiththree.myette.org/?p=22#comment-41 I think the best we can do is at least be thinking about all of these issues, doing research, and having conversations with informed friends. A few of my thoughts: Food - local, organic is best, I think. After that, local is 'better' than organic grown in CA, FL, Mexico, or elsewhere and it isn't just about the petroleum used in transportation--a shorter supply chain is better for freshness, safety, and supporting local economies. As to cost, quite soon, I think the prices between organic and traditionally produced foods will begin to even out a bit--especially when compared with local because of the rising price of oil. Most of the organic conversation happens around fruit and veggies, but protein sources (meat, milk, eggs, and cheese) end up being the real consumers of oil, water, and energy. Cutting down meat to twice a week and thinking local and organic here can really impact both the amount of chemicals you take in with food and the impact that food has on the world. All that said, I'm really lucky to live in a place with two growing season so I get fresh food all year round and the two major grocery store chains stock a lot of locally grown and produced food. This makes things easier. I think the best we can do is at least be thinking about all of these issues, doing research, and having conversations with informed friends.

A few of my thoughts:
Food - local, organic is best, I think. After that, local is ‘better’ than organic grown in CA, FL, Mexico, or elsewhere and it isn’t just about the petroleum used in transportation–a shorter supply chain is better for freshness, safety, and supporting local economies. As to cost, quite soon, I think the prices between organic and traditionally produced foods will begin to even out a bit–especially when compared with local because of the rising price of oil.

Most of the organic conversation happens around fruit and veggies, but protein sources (meat, milk, eggs, and cheese) end up being the real consumers of oil, water, and energy. Cutting down meat to twice a week and thinking local and organic here can really impact both the amount of chemicals you take in with food and the impact that food has on the world.

All that said, I’m really lucky to live in a place with two growing season so I get fresh food all year round and the two major grocery store chains stock a lot of locally grown and produced food. This makes things easier.

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