As I reflect on the spaghetti dinner, I can see that there were some aspects that affected the environment in a negative manner. The packaging of the noodles consisted of a cardboard box with a small plastic window in front. This type of packaging offers the consumer a clear view of the product, but at the same time the use of plastic causes more detriment to the environment. In order to reduce the environmental impacts associated with this meal, I could have chosen a brand with packaging made completely of cardboard, which is biodegradable. I could also purchase brands that I know were grown and made locally.
On a national scale, there should be more efforts to grow wheat for purposes other than livestock feed. Products grown and sold locally reduce the amount of air pollution caused due to transporting from one location to another. On an individual scale, people should be more aware of where the products they purchase are grown. We also need to pay closer attention to the packing and choose products that best fit our budgets that include packaging that can be reused, recycled, or has the least environmental impact.
Felicia
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Enviromental Impacts of "The Big Meal"
In this weeks' post, I will focus on the spaghetti portion of my "Big Meal" and it's primary ingredient, wheat, and break down some it's environmental impacts.
Spaghetti noodles are made primarily of wheat, which in the United States is grown mostly in the mid latitudes, Great Plains, and the North Carolina Plain. More of the earth's surface is covered by wheat than any other food crop, which means that it contributes largely to agriculture. In the U.S., wheat is used more extensively as feed for livestock rather than human consumption. There is a possibility that the wheat used in this meal came from Asia or China, where high yields of hybrid varieties are grown.
Industrialization and other technological revolutions led the way to increased productivity and population growth in today's developed and developing countries. Larger quantities of wheat can be produced with machinery than through the use of human labor. Machinery contributes to air pollution due to use of fossil fuels and the fumes emitted from farm machinery, such as tractors.
Agriculture also contributes to environmental issues such as soil erosion. Soil erosion is the world's single largest source of water pollution due to the amount of pollutants such as pesticides and fertilizers that infiltrate the soil. In many parts of the world, agriculture affects groundwater supplies because water is pumped from aquifers faster than it can be replenished.
Agriculture also contributes to environmental issues such as soil erosion. Soil erosion is the world's single largest source of water pollution due to the amount of pollutants such as pesticides and fertilizers that infiltrate the soil. In many parts of the world, agriculture affects groundwater supplies because water is pumped from aquifers faster than it can be replenished.
On the other hand, the advancement of the agricultural industry reduced the need for farm labor and afforded members of society new opportunities to explore other trades and areas of interest. Without these advancements, our days would consist of farm work, as we would still rely on subsistence farming. This form of agriculture does not provide much profit, and basically yields enough food for us to feed our own families.
This exercise gave me a new appreciation for the advancements in technology that came way before my time. Because of these breakthroughs, many of us in the U.S. are able to enjoy the fruit of commercial agriculture, as we work in diverse professions, attend schools and college, and enjoy various forms of recreation.
This exercise gave me a new appreciation for the advancements in technology that came way before my time. Because of these breakthroughs, many of us in the U.S. are able to enjoy the fruit of commercial agriculture, as we work in diverse professions, attend schools and college, and enjoy various forms of recreation.
Felicia
Sunday, July 10, 2011
A Big Meal
This week's post consists of the ingredients found in my recent spaghetti dinner:
Pasta:
Thin spaghetti noodles (semolina (wheat), durum flour (wheat), niacin, iron (ferrous sulfate), thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), Olive oil
Meat sauce:
Ground beef, yellow onions, green peppers, basil leaves, oregano, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, olive oil, tomato sauce (tomato concentrate (water, tomato paste), salt, onion powder, citric acid, natural flavors, dried bell pepper)
Garden Salad:
Iceberg lettuce, carrots, red cabbage, cucumbers, croutons, salt, pepper, olive oil, ranch dressing (water, vegetable oil (soybean and/ or canola), distilled vinegar, high fructose corn syrup, salt, egg yolk, buttermilk, less than 1% phosphoric acid, modified food starch, xanthan gum, monosodium glutamate, dried garlic, dried onion, natural flavor, potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate (as preservatives), spice, disodium phosphate, disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate, calcium disodium EDTA to protect flavor)
Garlic bread:
Italian bread (all purpose flour, water, brown sugar, salt, olive oil, active dry yeast, egg, sesame seeds, corn meal), butter, garlic powder
Drink:
Coca-Cola (carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, caramel color, phosphoric acid, natural flavors, caffeine), ice
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Battle of the Bag
Have you ever actually stopped to think about how many single-use plastic bags you use within a week, month, or a year's time? As you may or may not already know, plastic is almost indestructible. It resists degradation, and the process can take anywhere from 400-1,000 years.
The video, "Battle of the Bag", showed plastic bags in a different light. For those who are environmentally conscious, the amount of damage they cause comes as no surprise. Often times, plastic winds up on the seashores, where animals attempt to eat them in their daily hunt for food. Take into account the fact that sea turtles have a life span of about 100 years. About 60 percent of them have plastic bits in their stomachs, and die prematurely due to the complications.
On a global scale, this problem has affected humans in many different ways. In countries like China and Delhi, India, the government has attempted to manage this form of waste by banning it altogether under the Environmental Protection Act (EPA). Thin, single-use bags have been banned because of their impact on the environment due to the amount of waste produced. Plastic bags can even be found on the streets and countrysides in the poorest and most undeveloped countries in the world.
In Delhi, where cows are sacred and roam free, they will chew and eat entire plastic bags while grazing. This eventually accounts for their weight loss, and ultimately their death. This has caused Delhi to implement a special task force, whose sole purpose is to investigate and monitor retailers who are found using thin plastic bags, issuing fines and confiscating them when necessary.
Many of us have heard the popular phrase, "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle". Recycling efforts are largely unsuccessful in the United States, and in Canada only 1-3 percent of plastic bags are recycled. This problem has to be addressed on both the local and global scales in order to have a more lasting impact on the environment. As we consider this material which will outlive us for generations to come, we must begin to take actions to ensure that this problem is abated. Last year, the state of California made headlines in it's unsuccessful attempt to adopt such a ban.
Regardless of whether or not banning is considered to be the best solution, a great starting point for us as consumers to reduce and reuse is to purchase reusable shopping bags.
Felicia
The video, "Battle of the Bag", showed plastic bags in a different light. For those who are environmentally conscious, the amount of damage they cause comes as no surprise. Often times, plastic winds up on the seashores, where animals attempt to eat them in their daily hunt for food. Take into account the fact that sea turtles have a life span of about 100 years. About 60 percent of them have plastic bits in their stomachs, and die prematurely due to the complications.
On a global scale, this problem has affected humans in many different ways. In countries like China and Delhi, India, the government has attempted to manage this form of waste by banning it altogether under the Environmental Protection Act (EPA). Thin, single-use bags have been banned because of their impact on the environment due to the amount of waste produced. Plastic bags can even be found on the streets and countrysides in the poorest and most undeveloped countries in the world.
In Delhi, where cows are sacred and roam free, they will chew and eat entire plastic bags while grazing. This eventually accounts for their weight loss, and ultimately their death. This has caused Delhi to implement a special task force, whose sole purpose is to investigate and monitor retailers who are found using thin plastic bags, issuing fines and confiscating them when necessary.
Many of us have heard the popular phrase, "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle". Recycling efforts are largely unsuccessful in the United States, and in Canada only 1-3 percent of plastic bags are recycled. This problem has to be addressed on both the local and global scales in order to have a more lasting impact on the environment. As we consider this material which will outlive us for generations to come, we must begin to take actions to ensure that this problem is abated. Last year, the state of California made headlines in it's unsuccessful attempt to adopt such a ban.
Regardless of whether or not banning is considered to be the best solution, a great starting point for us as consumers to reduce and reuse is to purchase reusable shopping bags.
Felicia
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