food and the environment: how do our food choices affect the planet? daniel cohan 2013 jewish food...
TRANSCRIPT
Food and the Environment:How do our food choices affect the planet?
Daniel Cohan2013 Jewish Food Summit, Congregation Brith Shalom
How do our food choices impact Earth?
How can we measure those impacts?
Projected Warming by the 2090’s
IPCC, 2007 A1B scenario; Relative to 1980-1999
Projected Impacts of Warming
6IPCC, 2007
Role of Food in Climate Change
Overall Greenhouse Gas Emissions
By Species
Food and Climate
CO2 (tractors, etc.)
Nitrous oxide (fertilizers, etc.)
Food Transport
Driving
Methane (manure, livestock, etc.)
Food Production
Total U.S. Emissions: 60 tons/household
Lesson 1: Bigger carbon footprint from food than from driving
Lesson 2: What we eat matters more than how far it travels
U.S. Carbon Footprint of Food
Energy in the Food Chain:The inefficiency of meat
Crops for feed, or for food?
Worldwide, 35%of crops for animals
In U.S., most grain grown for livestock and ethanol
Carbon footprint of food
LentilsTomatoes
MilkBeans
TofuBroccoli
YogurtNuts
Peanut ButterRice
PotatoesEggsTuna
ChickenTurkey
SalmonPork
CheeseBeef
Lamb
Equivalent car miles driven per 4 oz. food consumed
What if everyone ate like Americans?
“Earths” of resources consumed
World Wildlife Federation
Food and Water
More water is used for agriculture (irrigation)than all other uses combined
World water use, 2005
Liters per 500g
Liters per 500g Liters per pot
Liters per burger or steak
Liters per literLiters per 500g
Note: For foods typically derived from non-irrigated crops (e.g., coffee), most of the water footprint is natural rainwater. For more on coffee’s footprint, see here.
Water footprint per ton
Total water use
Water Footprint:“Right” choices save 700 gallons by end of lunch
Compare foods in right column with left
Fertilizers, Pesticides, and Ecosystems
Growing Fertilizer Use
Ammonium deposition
Gulf of Mexico dead zone
Fertilizers, livestock are leading causes of…
Take-home Messages
• What we eat is just as important as what we drive or how we power our homes
• Climate, water, land, and ecosystems are all impacted by our food choices
• Simple choices – especially regarding meat – can sharply alter our food footprint
EXTRA SLIDES
Agriculture Direct Contribution toU.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Methane (CH4) Nitrous Oxide (N2O)
US EPA, Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2010.
Fertilizer Impacts on Aquatic Ecosystems