Environment

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Is there a website to measure and compare the greenhouse emissions of certain foods? (piefed.social)

submitted 2 months ago by Binzy_Boi@piefed.social to c/environment@beehaw.org

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Hey all,

While I'm aware that most issues regarding reducing greenhouse gasses land more on companies and governments than they do on individual responsibility, I still want to work on forming my diet to overall be more climate-friendly.

I'm curious if there's a website that compares the carbon footprint of certain foods. Since I'm currently modifying my diet to be more healthy and nutritious, I was also thinking about maybe making some changes where possible that are more friendly to the environment.

What brought up this thought is that I'm currently making sweetened drinks at home using zero-calorie sweeteners, and with the options I have available and how little they differ from one another in my eyes, I was curious which option between Stevia and Sucralose was more environmentally friendly, and then it became a more general question as to where I can compare these things.

Thanks in advance!

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[–] CameronDev@programming.dev 7 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (14 children)

~~A big part of it will be transport costs. Anything you get from a local farmers market will be infinitely better than what you get shipped around the world.~~

I am wrong: https://interactive.carbonbrief.org/what-is-the-climate-impact-of-eating-meat-and-dairy/

[–] Binzy_Boi@piefed.social 3 points 2 months ago (13 children)

Yeah, aware of the fact that meat tends to be a big issue with carbon emissions and environmental sustainability. While I'm not *currently* planning on being vegan, I'm definitely cutting out beef and pork and replacing them with chicken and fish for the time being for both diet and environmental reasons.

Overall trying to reduce the amount of meat I eat regardless, and I'm glad that's been an easy change so far.

[–] CameronDev@programming.dev 1 points 2 months ago (4 children)

Don't read too much into the URL, seems there is a wealth of information there (Although there are likely some author biases as play).

Interestingly, most of the beef greenhouse gasses are from them producing methane during their lifetime. Which means if your goal is to prevent greenhouse gasses, not eating them isnt enough, you also need to cull the herds as well, which I doubt is gonna make many vegans happy either.

I still personally believe buying local is probably the best bet, and that you'll go mad trying to look up every ingredients impact, but good luck :)

[–] Gloomy@mander.xyz 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I still personally believe buying local is probably the best bet

You call it a belive rightfully, because in order to hold it you have to activly disregard the multiple studies that point to animal products beefing worse for the environment even if shipped around the world.

I am sorry if this doesn't agree with your world view. It's a reality that has been proven by multiple authors again and again now.

[–] CameronDev@programming.dev 2 points 2 months ago

This isnt an meat vs plants thing, that is as you say, established.

But for a given item of food, acquiring it locally instead of shipping it from overseas is always going to be better.

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