Save the Economy: Start Dieting

Please don't say go vegetarian, please don't say go vegetarian, please don't....ah ****!!!! (More on this later).

According to ecologists, an energy crisis could be averted if Americans cut their calories.

David Pimentel of Cornell University and colleagues estimate that energy demands could easily be halved, which could stave off the prospect of further rises in the costs of fuel. Here are some of their conclusions based on their research;

* The average American consumes about 3747 kcal per day compared to the 2000 to 2500 kcal per day recommended by the US Food and Drug Administration.
* The 3747 kcal per day figure does not include any junk food consumed - which Pimentel estimates is about an additional 1/3.
* Producing those daily calories uses the equivalent to 2000 litres of oil per person each year. That accounts for about 19% of US total energy use.
* Using data from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, Pimentel estimates that half of the energy used to make food in the US is spent making animal products - meat, dairy and eggs.
* If Americans maintained their 3747 kcals per day, but switched to a vegetarian diet, the fossil fuel energy required to generate that diet would be cut by one third.

Boooooooooo!!!

* If people cut out 80% of the junk food they consume, this would reduce caloric consumption by 30%. This could have a substantial impact on energy consumption as junk food is energetically expensive to produce.
* Better farming practices such as; using more efficient light bulbs, less fertilizer and pesticides and more manual labor would also have a positive impact.
* Producing food locally would cut the energy expended transporting it by half.

What we can (are willing to) do

I think some of these proposals are sensible and some of them are...ambitious (euphemisms - love 'em!). I think reducing our carbon footprint is at the forefront of our minds and there are some smaller-scale, realistic steps we can take to help the economy/environment and our health.

I love the idea of trying to eat locally as much as possible. Also, I think many of us could benefit from cutting back on the junk - with the energy cost adding extra incentive. (Cheetos: bad for your arteries AND your planet).

As for eschewing meat... I think I'll just change to fluorescent light bulbs. But seriously, the unrelenting omnivore can be more environmentally friendly by eating locally raised meat, meat with less packaging or simply by cutting back a little.

I think having the awareness that our dietary choices affect our economy and our planet in addition to our own personal health is crucial. If everybody made small changes, we can collectively make a big difference.