tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542806651392353413.post2410337879163049627..comments2008-03-04T15:04:28.468-08:00Crunchy Chickenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10612320939936593420noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542806651392353413.post-13670928897292972102008-03-04T15:04:00.000-08:002008-03-04T15:04:00.000-08:00@ Melinda,<BR/><BR/>From http://greenwithagun.blogspot.com/2007/10/carbon-emissions-summary.html<BR/><BR/>If you grow your own food more or less organically, it will absorb 0.256lbs CO2/lb harvest (that's weighing the edible bit, but considering the carbon absorbed by the whole plant).<BR/><BR/>If you then compost the inedible bits of the plant they will give off 0.365lb CO2 per lb of harvest, assuming that your compost is aerobic (which it is if it's not slimy or foul-smelling) - it's more if it's anaerobic. A worm bin counts as aerobic compost.<BR/><BR/>Hope that helps!<BR/><BR/>--Heather from New ZealandHeatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17588832912375311757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542806651392353413.post-62012029093233518352008-03-03T08:32:00.000-08:002008-03-03T08:32:00.000-08:00This is such a great post! I added it to my morning news round up.Alliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16603700427096296937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542806651392353413.post-36321309883790676742008-03-03T07:00:00.000-08:002008-03-03T07:00:00.000-08:00The thing is that in your calculations it's not the extra weight, it's the extra consumption.<BR/> <BR/>My skinny friend who bike-commutes 12 miles each way and moves around by bike among a harem of (as opposed to my somewhat chunky boyfriend who bike-commutes 3 miles each way) - one is eating way more calories, and it's not the fat one.Rosanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542806651392353413.post-12818932139116951272008-03-02T09:22:00.000-08:002008-03-02T09:22:00.000-08:00I think weight issues are political and/or religious issues in a way. They all touch at our core being and if we don't question where we're coming from then they don't do us a bit of good. I appreciate this post and the others you have done. Thanks!Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820234357609699762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542806651392353413.post-212583540280024932008-03-01T19:29:00.000-08:002008-03-01T19:29:00.000-08:00Oldnovice - the only thing offending my audience is probably my math skills.<BR/><BR/>And, it's certainly not all the boob pictures, of course.Crunchy Chickenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10612320939936593420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542806651392353413.post-38477418500523373982008-03-01T18:56:00.000-08:002008-03-01T18:56:00.000-08:00I think you're gonna lose your audience, Crunchy. *I* talk about politics and religion (topics deemed "closest to the bones") by whichever mother told us to never talk about such things, but I've got to believe that overweight is a topic of conversation that (to the overweight) is a whole lot touchier.<BR/><BR/>I'm not sure I agree with your analysis, either, because on the one hand *I* couldn't maintain anywhere near my normal weight on a vegetarian diet unless I "filled in" with junk food and sweets (certainly not a healthy approach to eating, IMO). OTOH, I've LIVED with a woman who didn't seem to eat any more than I did (although I don't know what she ate away from home) who couldn't lose a pound to save her life. ???<BR/><BR/>I'll stick with the politics and religion discussions; fewer in the world will be offended. :-)Oldnovicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17714134603537886606noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542806651392353413.post-85019591122501174282008-03-01T17:20:00.000-08:002008-03-01T17:20:00.000-08:00For northern gardening, I would recommend finding a copy of 'Four-Season Harvest' by Eliot Coleman, who lives in <B>Maine</B>.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542806651392353413.post-46297798090047074282008-03-01T10:09:00.000-08:002008-03-01T10:09:00.000-08:00Melinda, doesn't it depend largely on where you live? I remember reading in Omnivore's Dilemma Michael Pollan saying that most of New England isn't really suited to growing vegetables so actually there it does make more sense to have pastured animals and use that as your diet? But in California, of course, our ground is great for growing vegetables!<BR/><BR/>This was fascinating, Crunchy, thanks for doing all the math!! I think the reason people don't talk about the environmental impact of obesity is because it's a very touchy issue. Even articles about the health impact of obesity cause people to lash out. I know it's a very personal issue, and to be fair I know overweight people who consume fewer calories than I do, and I'm underweight. <BR/><BR/>That's actually why I like your analysis. It doesn't *entirely* have to do with overweight or no, it has more directly to do with calorie consumption. So if you're overweight but you consume say 1500 calories a day, then it's the same if you're underweight and consuming 1500 calories a day. The only thing that counts is the calories.arduoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17043512641324366469noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542806651392353413.post-26427129958633792782008-03-01T09:26:00.000-08:002008-03-01T09:26:00.000-08:00Crunch, I'm going for a walk.Sandynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542806651392353413.post-53853729294906139662008-03-01T09:01:00.000-08:002008-03-01T09:01:00.000-08:00P.S.<BR/>Lynnet, just to raise a counterpoint: I'm a vegetarian for many reasons, including environmental and moral reasons. I grow 75% of what we eat on a 1,500 square foot plot. <BR/><BR/>The amount of grain that we eat is probably very similar to anyone who eats pastured animals, so that part isn't really an issue for comparison. We eat very little soy - only what we grow in our little garden. <BR/><BR/>Our protein comes from vegetables from the garden, whole grains from a local organic source, eggs from a local farmer, and milk from pastured cows. I'm planning to grow some of our own grain this year. And if we didn't rent, we'd have our own chickens and goats for eggs and milk. All on a 1/2 acre plot.<BR/><BR/>I agree that eating pastured animals is the best option if you want to eat meat, but being a vegetarian can have a much lower impact.Melindahttp://www.elementsintime.com/Blog.htmlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542806651392353413.post-87878662858670964732008-03-01T08:03:00.000-08:002008-03-01T08:03:00.000-08:00Crunchy, that's awesome. One more reason to stay fit... phew. Have you found any statistics re: the CO2 you save growing your own food? I think that would be great info to add to the pot... er, the pot of farm fresh low cal local seasonal winter squash soup...Melindahttp://www.elementsintime.com/Blog.htmlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542806651392353413.post-28345428594507242602008-03-01T07:28:00.000-08:002008-03-01T07:28:00.000-08:00All the estimates that meat-eaters cause so much more pollution/water use/etc. than vegans are based on CAFO beef, chicken, pork, etc., and count in the tremendous amounts of corn and soybeans trucked in and fed to these poor animals. <BR/><BR/>I'm sure you would find that the environmental impact of totally-pastured animals (no grains or soy) is far less than providing food for vegans, who require monocultures of grains and soybeans for their food.<BR/><BR/>Much more of the planet's surface is suitable for pasture than for intensive agriculture. Pasturing also requires almost no supplemental water, just enough for the animals' personal needs. It's a way to turn grass into human food. In the case of chickens, plants and bugs become human food. Chickens are omnivores, like humans.<BR/><BR/>People who have ethical principles for vegetarianism or veganism, that's fine. For environmental reasons, phasing out CAFO would have far more impact. It would also improve human health.Lynnethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03778531309772972996noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542806651392353413.post-2735432211267751502008-03-01T07:20:00.000-08:002008-03-01T07:20:00.000-08:00Wow. That's a damn good first analysis. Outstanding.Greenpahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17224906349154302210noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542806651392353413.post-17033848695547982552008-03-01T07:14:00.000-08:002008-03-01T07:14:00.000-08:00Or the extra energy it takes to pedal the extra weight uphill on a bike, which means you get hungry as a result and go eat more food.Chilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11406176434011890590noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542806651392353413.post-32197074309068717862008-03-01T01:25:00.000-08:002008-03-01T01:25:00.000-08:00Not to mention the extra energy required to transport you in your gas-guzzler!Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05789761931551673481noreply@blogger.com