What size is your footprint?
Every action, or step, we take on this earth leaves a footprint, that is it leaves marks, the consequences so to speak. Hence the question: What is the size of my footprint on this earth?I am of course speaking of ecological footprints of our food choices. This principle applies to all areas of our lives, be it work or leisure. I'll focus on food choices for now.
It might come as a surprise that the ecological footprint of most people's food choices is larger than that made by their cars! Astonishing but sadly true (source:Cardiff's Ecological Footprint Study). No need to become excited because this is actually something good. It means that our food choices do actually have a significant impact on our ecological "weight" and that by choosing differently, we can, individually and collectively, change dramatically our ecological footprints on this earth. Imagine what would happen if everyone joined in! What an incredible result we would achieve in short time!
Here are listed a few simple and concret actions to make your footprints lighter. Nothing fancy nor complicated.
1) Avoid overpackaging
We say this, but somehow, people don't seem to get it... All the energy used to create the fancy colorful plastic and cardboard packaging is all thrown out, never to be used again. Even when recycled, these packagings still consume energy. If we buy our food in bulk with our own reusable containers (not plastic baggies that end up in landfill sites), we reduce significantly our ecological footprint.2) Buy plant foods not animal products
Producing animal products uses up vast stores of energy. The sun gives it's energy to the plant which in turn converts it to food. The animal eats the plant. We eat the animal. Take the animal out of the food chain and you just shortened it. Less waste ensues and so, a smaller ecological footprint. And let's not mention all the greenhouse gases which would greatly diminish if we were to stop raising all those animals for their flesh.3) Buy food as close to its natural state as possible
Forget refined products (white sugar, white flour...), which require lots of energy to produce and, furthermore, provide an inferior product nutritionally. Sterilization, which includes pasteurization, also wastes energy needlessly adding to a bigger ecological footprint.4) Buy locally as much as possible
A large mesure of the size of the ecological footprint of food comes from the enormous distances it travels to get to our stores. Shipping consumes a lot of fuel. If you shorten that distance, you reduce the ecological footprint as a result.5) Grow you own food
The shortest distance between food and a plate results from a backyard vegetable garden. We can't grow everything ourselves but what we can grow will lighten by that much our ecological footprint. If you do not own land, think community garden. And of course, do not forget about sprouting! What a fabulous way to get supremely nutritious food in one's kitchen! And economical too! And while growing your food, you will send a loud message to those big food corporations. Let's hear it for self-reliance!
Now see, nothing complicated here. Simple, everyday decisions and actions but so important to our planet. If you truly want to be "green", then you must carefully consider your ecological footprint, in your food choices and in the rest as well.
