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THE CYCLE – REDUCE
KICK THE HABIT
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probably be fresher, taste better and do you more good than what you can
buy in the shops. And it will take minimal energy – except your own – to
grow it. Comparing emissions from meat production with growing vegeta-
bles shows that part of the answer clearly lies in eating more plant material
and less meat and processed food. Similarly, wearing clothes until the end
of their useful lives – even mending them when they need it – uses much
less energy than always being in the vanguard of fashion.
Perhaps it would be helpful here to recap some of the ways you can cut your
emissions without having to influence anyone apart from yourself – per-
haps on a typical weekday.
You wake up, thrust rudely into consciousness by your electric alarm: time
to look out the old wind-up alarm clock which was good enough for your
grandparents, and which needed no external energy source to keep it going.
By the way, how warm is your bedroom overnight? Would an extra blanket
or a thicker duvet let you reduce the temperature by a few degrees? You
head for the bathroom: how much energy you use depends on the length
and temperature of your shower. You can blow-dry your hair, or just leave
it to dry naturally.
Breakfast
is modest, but boiling water (just enough)
The food industry is one of the most GHG-intensive sectors when you factor in
the supply chain and the impact of agricultural production (see the Climate
Action Programme:
www.climateactionprogramme.org). Eating less meat and
dairy products makes for more efficient food production. Meat takes more en-
ergy because it takes longer to produce, and animals are inefficient converters
of grain. They need to be fed on farmed plant products which could feed many
more people directly. Manure releases methane, and so do ruminants like cows,
as the food ferments in their stomachs. That is why becoming a vegetarian will
not help if you simply replace animal proteins with dairy products. Dairy cows
produce over twice as much methane as beef cattle. However, sustainable meat
production is possible: it involves grazing that improves soil quality, makes biogas
which can be used as renewable energy, and avoids energy intensive activities.
Organic farming avoids the use of fossil fuel-based fertilizers and keeps the soil in
good shape. But organic food may not manage to feed the world; partly because
of the space it requires.
Look at the entire production and supply chain when you are thinking what to
buy and cook. Buying raw ingredients and cooking your own food instead of buy-
ing processed food saves the energy used for packaging, chilling and storing ready
meals. And when it comes to disposal, composting reduces GHGs.