CLIMATE CHANGE: PLANET-FRIENDLY FOODS

How we can contribute to stopping climate change from our homes

“Changes in the Earth’s climate are being observed in all regions and in the climate system as a whole. Many of the observed climate changes are unprecedented in thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of years, and some of the changes already occurring, such as continued sea level rise, will not be reversible for centuries or millennia.”

This is how the press conference of the intergovernmental panel on climate change began in Geneva, Switzerland, on August 9, 2021.  It sounds disheartening, especially since our children, grandchildren and future generations will probably not be able to live as we have done until now.

If we really want to prevent the situation from becoming even more serious, it is time to roll up our sleeves and get to work.

Guidelines highlighted in the report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and which we must take into account

 

The change is widespread and intensifying

What could significantly help us to stop it would be to radically and sustainably reduce emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases such as gas, hydrocarbons and methane (produced by livestock and industrial agriculture).  According to the report, although improvements in air quality would be rapid, it could take 20 to 30 years for global temperatures to normalize.

Impossible to stop global warming at 1.5ºC

The report provides new estimates of the possibility of exceeding global warming by 1.5ºC in the coming decades and concludes that unless greenhouse gas emissions are immediately and sharply reduced on a large scale, limiting warming to 1.5-2ºC will be unattainable.

What people are experiencing is very different from “global climate change”

According to IPCC Working Group 1 co-chair Panmao Zhai, “Climate change is already affecting all regions of the Earth in multiple ways. Any further warming will exacerbate the changes we are experiencing.”

It is not just a question of temperature. As a consequence of the change, different regions experience different changes that are intensified, in particular changes in humidity and dryness, winds, snow, ice, coastal areas and oceans:

• The hydrological cycle is intensifying. That is, greater intensity in precipitation (rain) and floods associated with it, and in contrast, more intense droughts in areas prone to it.
• Impact on precipitation patterns. Precipitation is projected to increase at high latitudes while decreasing in subtropical areas. Changes in monsoon precipitation (varying by region).
• Coastal areas experiencing continued sea level rise will see increased coastal erosion and more frequent and severe flooding in low-lying areas.
• Thawing of permafrost (a layer of soil, rock or sediment that has been frozen for more than two years and can store CO2), loss of seasonal snow cover, melting of glaciers and ice sheets; and loss of Arctic sea ice in the summer.
• Ocean warming and acidification. Increase in marine heat waves, reduction in oxygen levels (direct consequence of human influence).
• Urban areas in particular where heat may be felt more intensely because cities tend to be warmer than rural areas. Increased flooding in coastal cities due to heavy rainfall and rising sea levels.

Human influence on climate change

The IPCC conducted a study on the human impact on the climate in the past, present and future and concludes that human influence is indisputable, showing that human actions can still determine the future course of the climate.  There is clear evidence that carbon dioxide is the main cause of climate change, although other greenhouse gases and air pollutants also have a deleterious effect.

Mr Zhai said: “If we want to stabilise the climate, we will need to substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions rapidly and sustainably, ultimately achieving net zero CO2 emissions.  “Also, limiting other greenhouse gases and air pollutants, especially methane, could be beneficial for both health and the climate.”

 

What both skeptics and believers in climate change need to know

Climate change has become a political issue, with skeptics labeling scientists as corrupt, opportunistic, and even incompetent, while the mainstream views skeptics as ignorant and corrupt. 

If you are a skeptic, feel free to dismiss the studies, statistics, projections and climate changes we are seeing day after day in different places around the world.  But ask yourself if you want to live on a healthy planet where there can be food for all of humanity.  If so, the warnings and recommendations I propose here can help steer us in that direction.

In his book, Climate: A New Story, Charles Eisenstein reminds us that the earth is alive, not just a food factory, but complex, dormant and fragile. 

We humans are arrogant and believe that the earth is a “thing.”  It's like the case of a mother who gives birth to a child and this child, as he grows and becomes more reasonable, neglects her, throws garbage at her and throws all those things he no longer needs into the maternal home because he believes that he provides for himself and that what he invents, the new toy, is what counts. 

Let us remember that we were born on Earth, we are earthlings and SHE contains us.  Just because SHE doesn't speak English or any other language doesn't mean she doesn't express herself or isn't an intelligent being.  For this reason, unlike Mr. Eisenstein, I think that our planet is not so fragile, but the moment it feels that its balance is being violated, it can eliminate us or simply not give us food, much less the means to live in climates adapted to human beings.  We are the fragile ones.

Priorities to reverse the climate disaster

In his book, Charles Eisenstein proposes to change the way we relate to the Earth and understand it as a living being, with a body whose organs we have deteriorated, and he indicates some priorities to leave this destructive cycle in which humanity currently finds itself.

• Priority 1: Consider and care for every natural place as sacred.

• Priority 2: heal, repair, regenerate the parts of nature that have been damaged, especially forests and soils. According to Eisenstein and many experts, soil is the most important organ for the health of the Earth. Of course, it relates to trees, grasslands, ocean floors and all the other ecosystems involved in the balance of the planet. Regenerative agriculture, for example, would be the fastest way to remove CO2 from the atmosphere.

• Priority 3: Stop poisoning the tissues of this living being with herbicides, pesticides, insecticides, toxic waste, pharmaceuticals, cleaning and hygiene products full of chemicals that reduce the planet's capacity to renew itself.

• Priority 4: Reduce fossil fuel emissions. Governments and multinationals are still indifferent to the irreparable damage caused by practices such as fracking, drilling and uncontrolled mining. However, the consequences of the three previous priorities have repercussions on the fourth if we act together.

Eisenstein emphasizes the conscious and joint participation in the healing of the planet.  First, let's worry about healing it and then about bringing more life to the planet. Thus, he proposes strategies such as:  understand that our true mission in coming to this world is to maintain the natural balance of the Earth, protecting what lives on it and at this point, healing what has been damaged.

What we need to know about climate change and our food

Practices such as carpooling (several neighbours who are going in the same direction get into one car instead of each using their own car) or car-free days raise public awareness. But did you know that agriculture - especially raising livestock for food - contributes more to global warming than transport?

Industrial agriculture, and especially agriculture intended to feed livestock for food, is one of the largest users of transport.  Furthermore, animal agriculture is the main cause of species extinction and ocean dead zones. ( article )

For this reason, the IPCC advises reducing meat consumption. The following table, published by Nature magazine (2019), reflects an estimate of the impact of greenhouse gas emissions according to the different diets that the world's population can adopt.

Translation:

The biggest triggers of climate change

Industrial livestock farming .  Cows alone are responsible for the largest greenhouse effect through the production of methane (from their belching and flatulence) and their feces.  Methane is up to 28 times as destructive as CO2 when it comes to warming the atmosphere.

Animal agriculture is the main cause of deforestation . Large and important areas such as the Amazon are being destroyed to make way for soy and corn crops to feed livestock, destroying the habitat of species already in danger of extinction, but also releasing CO2 into the atmosphere that would normally have been absorbed by the trees in the area.

 

Growing food for livestock releases nitrous oxide.  The main crops are soybeans, corn and alfalfa.  Corn is particularly dependent on carbon-emitting chemical fertilizer.

In summary, the worst offenders are considered to be raising and eating lamb, beef, cheese, pork, farmed salmon, turkey, chicken, canned tuna, and non-organic or free-range eggs.

Beef production emits about 10 times more greenhouse gases per pound of meat than chicken or pork, which in turn emit about 10 times more than legumes. The animal product that emits the least greenhouse gases, chicken, produces seven times more than lentils.

Plants also require natural resources to grow, but they are much less resource-intensive than animal products. Foods such as peas, lentils and beans require little water and can grow in harsher climates. Legumes also have the ability, as do certain soil fungi, to extract inert nitrogen from the soil and use it, reducing the need for fertilizers that release nitrous oxide into the atmosphere.

Foods to incorporate into your diet that help preserve the environment

Tomatoes

A locally grown, summer-ripened tomato has a low carbon footprint (ranking second on the ICPP Working Group's list). Not only do tomatoes have a low carbon footprint, they develop deep root systems that absorb moisture from deeper soil, limiting the need for water in the hot summer months.

Lentils

According to the ICPP Working Group, lentils are the leading “climate-friendly” plant protein. Combining the carbon emissions from lentil production and post-production emissions (from processing, transport and retail) results in just 0.9 kg of CO2. Chicken, the lowest-emitting animal protein, produces almost seven times as much.

Broccoli

Broccoli production releases less carbon than driving a mile in your car, and this nutrient-rich vegetable can be grown without synthetic pesticides. Broccoli, a member of the cabbage family, produces compounds that act as natural pesticides. Broccoli sprouts, meanwhile, provide a powerful antioxidant: sulforaphane (you can find all the information you need to include it in your diet here ).

Walnuts

Another low-carbon source of protein is nuts, primarily almonds, pecans, walnuts, Brazil nuts, and macadamia nuts. Every 120 grams of nuts consumed is equivalent to the carbon emissions of driving a car for about 1 kilometer. Considering that the average serving size is 30 grams, this is an efficient snack. Note that peanut butter does not fall into this category, first because peanuts are not a nut but a legume, and because processing increases the carbon footprint of nut butters in general.

Peas

Peas naturally fix nitrogen in the soil, making them an environmentally friendly alternative to soybean plants. This ability to fix nitrogen in the soil eliminates the need for synthetic fertilizers and leaves the soil nutrient-rich after harvest. Pea plants thrive in cool conditions, effectively reducing water waste associated with hot temperatures.

Oranges

Oranges require 55 gallons of water per pound and are possibly the most water-efficient fruit.  Unlike buying orange juice, it's best to squeeze your own to get your share of vitamin C and avoid added sugars.

Spirulina and chlorella

Algae are grown in freshwater tanks that require 20 times less water to grow than traditional crops, 50 times less water than land-based crops like corn, and 80 times less water than livestock farms. Spirulina, one of the most well-known algae, uses just six gallons of water for a 10-gram serving, while beef uses a staggering 1,303 gallons for a 10-gram serving.

Plant-based foods that are produced locally and organically

Organic farming attempts to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers by cultivating healthy soil, which typically stores much more carbon than dying soil kept alive through massive and frequent applications of industrial fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and fungicides.

Give plant-based meats a chance

Plant-based meat is meat made from plants. It is created and manufactured to look, feel, and taste like conventional meat from animal products.

Plant-based meats are generally healthy when consumed in moderation and as part of a balanced diet and are a healthier option compared to meat.

However, plant-based meats are not perfect – they tend to have higher amounts of sodium, usually in an attempt to make them more palatable and shelf-stable. Too much sodium can have adverse health effects, such as hypertension and stroke in the context of a high-carb diet, so this should be taken into account.

Organic Coffee and Tea

Since coffee is the most exported product around the world, and tea is the most common drink after water, it is best to obtain these products from eco-responsible practices in which chemicals such as fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides and fungicides are not used for industrial production.

It turns out that food choices that contribute to a healthier planet can also contribute to making us healthier and living better in community.

Let's give ourselves a chance!