Toss the Twinkies, save the planet
I don't profess to be an environmental activist in any way, shape, or form. In fact, I've found all of the "green" hoopla in the media a bit annoying. And I sheepishly admit that my husband and I only started recycling about a year ago. It's not that I don't think the environment is important: I just don't appreciate being beaten over the head with "inconvenient truths" or guilted into earth-consciousness. But there is one new environmental message that I can get on board with wholeheartedly: According to a new study, one of the best things people can do for the environment is to clean up their own diets. Researchers from Cornell University in New York found that "just [by] reducing junk food intake…the average American could have a massive impact on fuel consumption." They assert that the processed, packaged foods that make up a significant proportion of the standard American diet require more energy to produce than things like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. And if you opt for pesticide-free, organic, locally grown produce, you're also improving energy efficiency, not to mention reducing the costs associated with transporting foods -- potentially by as much as 50 percent. The possibility of lower gas prices AND a healthier body? Now that's a combination worth going "green" for. Source:
"Eating less meat and junk food could cut fossil energy fuel use almost in half," Science Daily (www.sciencedaily.com), 7/24/08 | 
