Now I'm Hungry

When it comes to deciding which foods and beverages I consume, I unfortunately don't usually have many environmental concerns on my mind. Before, this class I never did and didn't even actually know how much of my ecological footprint consisted of food goods and services (a lot!). I was extremely surprised by this following my calculation, and have since started to think more about where the food I purchase comes from. I still, however, find that I don't have too many additional options in that food takes up a considerable amount of my budget and I try to ensure that I am spending the least amount on food as possible. I love going to farmer's markets and purchasing fresh and local food, but most times I view it as something I can splurge on every once and a while instead of a lifestyle habit, because it often just seems impractical.

The other thing I typically consider when purchasing food is simply, what do I enjoy? And what are the staples that I am now so used to eating and drinking? Environmental considerations usually fall at the end of my priority list with respect to my food choices. I often want to make a change, and certainly need to, but I always end up feeling like I have no option but to go to my local grocery store to buy the food I need.

Yesterday, I went out for dinner with a friend in honor of the end of a week full of mid-terms. When I say out for dinner, I mean I went to the Z-Burger in Tenleytown. This is probably the meal of mine that had the most environmental impact. I had a cheeseburger and a fountain drink. The burger was prepared using a grill that either ran on electricity or gas, both of which dangerous effect the environment. On my burger, I had tomatoes, peppers, and lettuce. I would assume that all of these different ingredients had to be shipped to the restaurant via truck from fairly far away (although I don't know for sure). This only contributed to my meal's environmental impact. I'm also sure that Coca-Cola or some company of that sort had to come and refill the supplies for the fountain drink machine. Thinking about it now, that single cheeseburger and drink (not even taking into consideration the other 20 people eating the same, if not more, food than I was) contributed to significant negative environmental impact. When we eat the things we do, I don't think many people fully realize how it got there. We are hungry and there is food that looks delicious, so we eat it. Never before this class did I think, "I wonder how far this lettuce had been transported in order to be served to me on this nicely toasted bun?" This, I think, is the issue. People diligently recycle their bottles and cans, but don't even realize that their weekly trip to the grocery store accounts for so much negative impact (most often hidden from plain sight) on the environment.