Trying to come up with some blog topics around the holidays for Hohm I headed out to my parents who are always up for a cup of coffee and some strong debate early in the morning. Quickly the conversation tuned into the upcoming holiday and what is the possibility of households conserving energy by preparing food in one location while the community gathers in once place to eat. This idea was almost instantly rebutted by my dad stating that the conservation efforts within one location can easily be outweighed by the amount of energy used for transportation either for the food itself or in this instance the commuting people to come eat a one person’s house.
It might not be directly related to conserving energy in your home; however, the products and food that you buy play a major role into the overall consumption of energy. Your efforts to conserve energy and money at home can easily be mitigated by other actions that you take for instance the food that you purchase.
Did you know?
1. In 1866, 1,186 varieties of fruits and vegetables were produced in California. Today, California’s farms produce only 350 commercial crops.
2. Communities reap more economic benefits from the presence of small farms than they do from large ones. Studies have shown that small farms re-invest more money into local economies by purchasing feed, seed and other materials from local businesses, whereas large farms often order in bulk from distant companies.
2. A typical carrot has to travel 1,838 miles to reach your dinner table.
3.In the U.S., a wheat farmer can expect to receive about six cents of each dollar spent on a loaf of bread—approximately the cost of the wrapping.
4. Farmers’ markets enable farmers to keep 80 to 90 cents of each dollar spent by the consumer.
5. About 1/3 of all U.S. farms are located within metropolitan areas, comprising 18% of total U.S. farmland.
If this didn’t catch your attention take a look at Are You Hungry For Change, a film discussing some of the core environmental issues in American agriculture.
Even though Microsoft Hohm is a place to learn more on how to conserve energy and money within your home, we’re also going to host conversations on how to conserve energy throughout your daily life.
Sources
Meter, Ken. “Finding Food in California: local gains, systemic losses.” Crossroads Resource Center. January, 2005. p.8 (accessed online 8/17/08).
Flore, Jan L., Carol J. Hodne, Willis Goudy, David Osterberg, James Klienbenstein, Kendall M. Thu, and Shannon P. Marquez, “Social and Community Impacts,” in Iowa Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations Air Quality Study: Final Report. Environmental Health Sciences Research Center, University of Iowa, 2003: 148.
Herriges, Joseph A., Silvia Secchi, and Bruce A. Babcock. “Living with Hogs in Iowa: The Impact of Livestock Facilities on Rural Residential Property Values.” Center for Agricultural and Rural Development, Iowa State University. Ames, Iowa, 2003.
Pirog, Rich, and Andrew Benjamin. “Checking the Food Odometer: Comparing Food Miles for Local Versus Conventional Produce Sales in Iowa Institutions.” Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, July 2003.
Pretty, Jules. “Some Benefits and Drawbacks of Local Food Systems.” Briefing Note for TVU/Sustain AgriFood Network, November 2, 2001.
Elliott's Thoughts 