Food Waste, Forest Bathing

 Katharine Hayhoe posted this last weekend about Food Waste

She said:

"Every year, a full third of the food produced on this planet is thrown out. That amounts to some 1 billion tons. And when it decays, all the wasted food that doesn’t make it to our tables – or does, then gets thrown out – generates about 8 percent of the world’s heat-trapping gases. That’s more than double the impact of all the flights in the world; and it’s lost calories and wasted money, too. "

"Project Drawdown recently released a new analysis ranking the top 20 high-impact climate actions households can take to cut their carbon footprint by up to 25 percent. Do you know what the number one action is? Reducing food waste!

Good news: 

"Is it possible to eliminate food waste through composting and recycling? South Korea says yes. They’ve virtually eliminated food waste thanks to a compulsory curbside composting program...." (see newsletter for more details)

"What about using that food to feed people who would otherwise go hungry? In Geneva, a nonprofit called Free-Go is putting fridges on streets that members of the public can use to share food..." including shops and restaurants... Last year, when the program only had one fridge, the program gave away some 3.2 tons of food. " (see newsletter for more details)

In the U.S., for-profit companies like Imperfect Foods and Ugly Food allow consumers to make sure they are buying perfectly good food that would otherwise be thrown out because it doesn’t look quite right. In Canada, non-profits like Food Stash in Vancouver, Rescue Food in the Prairies, and Second Harvest across the country collect and redistribute food free of charge that would otherwise go to a landfill. Many non-profits rely on volunteers.

Not So Good-news:

Climate change is affecting what you can find on the shelves of your local grocery store, too. This year, Peru, historically the world’s largest blueberry exporter, has exported less than half as many blueberries as last year, thanks to abnormally high temperatures during the growing season. Climate change is also cutting into orange juice supply.  (see newsletter for more details)

"...Tomatoes, too, will have trouble in a warming world... Growing regions for the savory fruit will likely need to shift to stave off a tomato crisis. " (see newsletter for more details)

"Many people may be surprised to know that increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are reducing the nutritional content of food. Plants are growing bigger and faster but with the same amount of nutrients... this will exacerbate the malnutrition and lack of nutrients many already experience in low-income countries who’ve done the least to cause the problem. Once again, climate impacts are profoundly unfair." (see newsletter for more details)

What you can Do:

I’ve changed my own grocery shopping habits to reduce food waste...I now shop once or twice a week. I buy only what I need for meals over the next couple of days..." (see newsletter for more details)

You can compost your produce scraps..." (See below about curbside pickup of composts)

And if you live in the UK, you can use this website to locate a local “gleaning” group, which connects volunteers with local farmers to help harvest excess fruits and vegetables that would otherwise not be harvested." (see newsletter for more details)

In Boston...the city offers free curbside service: (found on Facebook)

And in Asheville NC, and now maybe in Black Mountain NC...Facebook has a site for CompostNow.org

I saw this truck in the parking lot at Whole Foods Grocery in Asheville this summer. Since then they advertised in Black Mountain on Facebook

And I will often just post the topic that Katharine Hayhoe has posted on my newsletter which I receive weekly from Talking Climate Newsletter

If you're at all interested in keeping track of more world-wide info on climate change, she's a great resouce.

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And in other news...NPR offered this:

Decades of research have shown that "forest bathing," a practice the Japanese call shinrin-yoku, is good for your health. It can improve your immune system, lower blood pressure and ease depression. Next time you need some self-care, try forest bathing with some of Life Kit's tips: 

 Set a good amount of time aside to surround yourself with trees.
 Move slowly and focus on lowering your heart rate. 
 Try meditating and paying attention to the scents of the forest.