Final MessageNow that we have looked at each individual piece of the average meal, we should think about the larger picture of every meal and how those individual pieces fit together. This meal would have a total of just over 2,000 calories, which is a large meal for the average person. It also has 127 grams of sugar and 1,825 milligrams of sodium, both of which are very high for most people. This meal also contains artificial sweeteners such as high fructose corn syrup, which have a significant health impact and is a very common ingredient in most meals.
While the health impact is already large, the environmental impacts are just as gigantic: for this meal to come together, around 43,659 miles have to be traveled, burning 283,783 gallons of diesel fuel and emitting around 3,121 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Also, the refrigeration and freezing of these food items can also use up a significant amount of energy as this food is going through these long journeys. The packaging created to protect these foods is also contributing to the ever growing landfills, and this packaging could also easily become litter. While this meal would most likely cost around 10-15 dollars, there are many other costs not factored into the face value. Some of these costs are about health, the environment (carbon dioxide, littering, etc.), and the leaking of pesticides, herbicides, and feces into the waterways. So, in conclusion, while local food does have plenty of shortcomings, if you buy food locally and organically, it is more likely that the food you buy will have less of a negative impact on your health and the environment. And finally, remember to know the “true cost” of your food.
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A Paragraph About Apple PiesThe journey to create an a slice of apple pie in our food system is very long and requires food from other countries, totaling up to a distance of around 21,650 miles. In most apple pies, there are two main components: the crust and the filling. For the filling, we used a fairly simple recipe, using apples, cinnamon, sugar, and butter. Based on our research, the apples would most likely come from Washington (2,500 miles), the cinnamon would come from Brazil (4,500 miles), the butter would come from Wisconsin (1,000 miles), and the sugar would come from Hawaii (5,000 miles). For the crust, the eggs would come from Iowa (1,150 miles), the butter would come from Wisconsin (1,000 miles), the sugar would come from Hawaii (5,000 miles), and the wheat would finally come from Kansas (1,500 miles). Going this distance would require burning over 140,000 gallons of diesel fuel and emitting over 1,500 tons of carbon dioxide. This is not factoring in the refrigeration, freezing and packaging that could also have an impact on the environment. Some major externalities not included in the cost of this pie are the aforementioned carbon dioxide, oil and fuel leakage in the ocean from ships, and pesticides and herbicides in the water sources. The Raw Data:Apple Pie
Calories: 250 Total Miles Traveled:14500 Method Of Transport:Semi Truck/Ship Packing: container Storage:Refrigerator Externalities: Pesticides, herbcides Nutrients: 2 grams of protein, 32 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber, 13 grams of sugar, 13 grams of fat, 0 Trans or Saturated fats, 0 cholesterol, 170mg of sodium, 0 potassium, 4% Vitamin A, 25% Vitamin C, 2% Calcium, 6% Iron Energy for Transport:140,725 gallons of diesel fuel 1,547 tons of CO2 A Paragraph About Chocolate Milkshakes:A chocolate milkshake is relatively simple, having only three main ingredients: ice cream, milk, and sweetener (high fructose corn syrup). These ingredients come from three states and travel a total of 7,150 miles to get to you. The ice cream would most likely come from California (3,000 Miles), the milk would also come from California (3,000 Miles), and the HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) would come from Illinois (1,150 Miles). This journey, most likely traveled by semi truck, would require burning 46,475 gallons of diesel fuel and producing 511 tons of carbon dioxide. Some major externalities not included in the price of the milkshake are major impacts of cow farms such as methane produced by cows, health impacts of sugary foods and HCFS, and cow feces and waste in waterways. The Raw DataChocolate Milkshake:
Calories:780 Total Miles Traveled:7,150 Method Of Transport:Semi- Truck Packing: Containers Storage: Refrigerated Externalities: Carbon Emissions, cow methane, pollution of water from cow excrement, health costs, Nutrients: 20g protein, 134g Carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 104g Sugar, 16g fat, 10g saturated fat,432mg of sodium, nothing else Energy for Transport:46,475 gallons of diesel Ice Cream:(California, Indiana) -3000 Container freezer Milk:(California, Wisconsin) -3000 Jug refrigerator High Fructose Corn Syrup: ( Iowa, Illinois) -1,150 A Paragraph On French Fries:For french fries to get to your table, the ingredients sometimes have to sometimes come from very far away. French fries travel a total distance of 2166 miles to get to your table. Its one ingredient, potatoes, would most likely come from Idaho (2166mi). French fries are stored in containers which are then packed in crates and refrigerated so they don't go bad during transportation. They then are transported in an 18-wheeler truck which uses a total of 14079 gallons of fuel, and gives off 154 tons of carbon emissions. The total emissions didn't factor in the refrigeration of the food, just the fuel. Some of the major externalities which aren't included in the price are the disposing of the skins, the CO2 emissions from the truck, and the pesticides and herbicides sprayed on the potatoes to prevent bugs from eating them. The Raw Data:Fries:
Calories: 395 Total Miles Traveled: 2166 Method Of Transport: 18 wheeler truck Packing: Containers Storage: Frozen Externalities: CO2 emissions from trucks, cost of disposing of skins Nutrients: Fat (g): 18 Cholesterol (mg): 0 Sodium (mg): 245 Potassium: (mg): 0 Carbs (g): 54 Fiber (g): 2 Sugars (g): 0 Protein (g): 7 Vitamin A (%): 0 Vitamin C (%): 0 Calcium (%): 2 Iron (%): 10 Energy for Transport: 14079 gallons of fuel A Paragraph About The Process Of Transporting A Burger:To create a burger, its ingredients have to travel from all around the country, and travels a total of 12,693 miles. In most burgers, you would find a beef patty, two slices of romaine lettuce, a slice of Kraft American cheese, two slices of tomatoes, a ketchup packet, and a wheat bun. Based on our research, the beef patty most likely would come from Nebraska (1,665mi), the bun would most likely come from Kansas (1436mi), the lettuce, tomatoes, and ketchup packet would likely all come from California (2,559mi), and the potatoes and onions most likely both come from Idaho (2,166mi). All of these ingredients are transported by semi trucks because they all were grown in the US. These trucks used over 96,583 gallons of fuel and gave off a total of 1,051 tons of CO2 emission. This is not adding in the refrigeration emissions for each food. Some externalities that are not included in the price you are paying for the burger are disposing of the wrapper of the burger, the amount of pollution is given off in the transportation, and the herbicides and pesticides used for growing the vegetables. The Raw Data:Burger: Calories: 690 Total Miles Traveled: 14,859 Method Of Transport: Semi Truck (18-wheeler) Packing: containers crates Storage: Frozen Externalities: CO2 from trucks, diseases transported to the people Energy for Transport: 96,583.5 Meat: Calories: 310 Nutrients: Fat (g): 10 Cholesterol (mg): 75 Sodium (mg): 60 Potassium (mg): 0 Carbs (g): 0 Fiber (g): 0 Sugars (g): 0 Protein (g): 20 Vitamin A (%): 0 Vitamin C (%): 0 Calcium (%): 0 Iron (%): 10 Transportation miles: 1665 Energy for Transport: 10,822.5 gallons of fuel Bun: Calories: 190 Nutrients: Fat (g): 2.5 Cholesterol (mg): Sodium (mg): 320 Potassium (mg): 0 Carbs (g): 36 Fiber (g): 1 Sugars (g): 3 Protein (g): 5 Vitamin C (%): 6 Calcium (%): 8 Iron (%): 10 Transportation miles: 1436 Energy for Transport: 9334 gallons of fuel Lettuce: 2 cal Nutrients: Carbs (g): 0.4 Protein (g): 0.4 Transportation miles: 2559 Energy for Transport: 16,633.5 gallons of fuel Tomato: 6 cal Nutrients: Sodium (mg): 2 Carbs (g): 1 Fiber (g): 0.5 Transportation miles: 2559 The Energy for Transport: 16,633.5 gallons of fuel Onion: 32 cal Nutrients: Fat (g): 0.1 Sodium (mg): 3.2 Potassium (mg): 116.8 Carbs (g): 7.5 Fiber (g): 1.4 Sugars (g): 3.4 Protein (g): 0.9 Vitamin A (%): 0.03 Vitamin C (%): 9.87 Calcium (%): 1.84 Iron (%): 0.93 Transportation miles: 2,166 Energy for Transport: 14,079 gallons of fuel Cheese: 140 cal Nutrients: Fat (g): 10 Cholesterol (mg): 30 Sodium (mg): 500 Carbs (g): 4 Sugars (g): 2 Protein (g): 8 Vitamin A (%): 4 Calcium (%): 50 Transportation miles: 971 Energy for Transport: 6,311.5 Ketchup: 10 cal Nutrients: Sodium (mg): 90 Carbs (g): 3 Sugars (g): 2 Protein (g): 0.2 Vitamin A (%): 2 Vitamin C (%): 2 Transportation miles: 2559 Energy for Transport: 16,633.5 gallons of fuel |
Disclaimer:*All distances are calculated based on a trip from the various locations to Boston, Massachusetts. ArchivesSubjects |