How we eat

During this Climate Action Week, Maxine and I are doing a little something new. We've been inspired to do this by the report a couple of weeks ago regarding food and the climate/environment.

We are making an effort to eat locally-grown and produced food, and we are not eating meat.

When you live in Ohio, eating locally-grown food is much easier in September than it is in February. We belong to a food-buying club/co-op that provides us a bag full of fresh fruits and vegetables each week from May through October. I think being more intentional than we usually are about eating local during this week is helping us see how challenging it can be even when it is relative easy to do it.

At this point, we do not think we will give up all meat permanently. Maybe we should. There are many good reasons to do so. But to the extent that we do eat meat, we want to eat meat that is from animals raised as humanely and sustainably as possible. (I tried to write "slaughtered/harvested humanely," but that's a tough stretch.)

The environmental/climate implications of changing how we eat are profound. The major way we do agriculture, which could indeed "feed the world" if it were done justly, is extremely destructive to the natural environment, and contributes to the increasing rate of global climate change. Clearly, the billions of people now on planet Earth are not about to feed themselves year-round the way our agrarian ancestors did, so becoming more efficient and sustainable in the mass production and distribution of food should be a high priority for us and for the agricultural industry.

Maxine and I do not think these changes in our diet will prove to be permanent changes, although we have, in fact, been moving in these directions for many years. We think these are good moves for us and for the environment.

Nor do not believe what we are doing this week deserves any particular praise. It is more for our own awareness than for anything else. But I share it because it might get someone else to think about their own food habits. Perhaps you'd like to comment with your thoughts on the matter. I'd be grateful.