Chad Heeter wrote an article that was published in the San Francisco Chronicle today entitled "The oil in your oatmeal: A lot of fossil fuel goes into producing, packaging and shipping our breakfast." It does a good job of explaining some of the fossil fuel-saving reasons to eat locally grown, minimally processed food. An excerpt:
So how do you gauge how much oil went into your food?
First check out how far it traveled. The farther it went, the more oil it required. Next, gauge how much processing went into the food. A fresh apple is not processed, but Kellogg's Apple Jacks cereal requires enormous amounts of energy to process. The more processed the food, the more oil it requires. Then consider how much packaging is wrapped around your food. Buy fresh vegetables instead of canned, and buy bulk beans, grains, and flour if you want to reduce that packaging.
You may think you're in the clear because you eat strictly organically grown foods. When it comes to fossil-fuel calculations though, that isn't relevant. However it is grown, a raspberry is shipped, packed and chilled the same way.
Also, in the New York Times Magazine today, a very lengthy article by Michael Pollan entitled "The Modern Hunter-Gatherer." It is adapted from his forthcoming book "The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals." To tell the truth, I haven't had time to read this article today, but I know enough about Michael Pollan and the premise of his new book to recommend this article.
