Robert Ashworth's Posts - Transition Whatcom2024-03-28T12:24:36ZRobert Ashworthhttp://transitionwhatcom.ning.com/profile/RobertAshworthhttp://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2197507012?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1http://transitionwhatcom.ning.com/profiles/blog/feed?user=3te8vkq6q66py&xn_auth=noHow being a locavore might add to global warmingtag:transitionwhatcom.ning.com,2011-02-05:2723460:BlogPost:425282011-02-05T10:00:00.000ZRobert Ashworthhttp://transitionwhatcom.ning.com/profile/RobertAshworth
<p>Being a locavore means trying to eat foods grown locally, say within 100 miles from home, but in much of USA, local agriculture is cattle ranching. Beef cattle.</p>
<p> <br></br>Cattle grazing is much of what one sees within 100 miles of towns in places like eastern Montana. Not the best place to grow tomatoes, but cattle can graze. Problem is, cattle create methane which is a greenhouse gas. One recommendation for reducing greenhouse gas emission is to eat less beef. That might mean being…</p>
<p>Being a locavore means trying to eat foods grown locally, say within 100 miles from home, but in much of USA, local agriculture is cattle ranching. Beef cattle.</p>
<p> <br/>Cattle grazing is much of what one sees within 100 miles of towns in places like eastern Montana. Not the best place to grow tomatoes, but cattle can graze. Problem is, cattle create methane which is a greenhouse gas. One recommendation for reducing greenhouse gas emission is to eat less beef. That might mean being less of a locavore for folks living in the vast areas of USA where cattle ranching is easier to do than growing, say, avocados.</p>
<p><br/>Maybe beef isn't all bad. I hear that folks are working on modifying the cow's digestive tract to create less methane. Science can come to the rescue.</p>
<p><br/>Meanwhile, there are many reasons to increase fruits and vegetables in our diet while reducing beef consumption. Health reasons as well as the global warming worries. In winter, that most likely means food being shipped from distant places like southern California.</p>
<p> <br/>Some people try growing tomatoes here in Bellingham, WA. but our summers are a bit too cool and cloudy. The slugs get them. We just aren't the best place for tomatoes, except maybe in hothouses. Some years, people have good tomatoes, but it seems rare.</p>
<p> <br/>Maybe we can have a diet of kale in the winter. Kale is nice, but might get boring after while.</p>
<p> <br/>Shipping from distant places creates greenhouse gas as well. Trucks, rail and so forth. Hopefully this isn't as big of an emitter to greenhouse gas as the driving that average Americans do each day.</p>
<p><br/>Being a locavore may not do that much for reducing global warming. Eating less beef does more. Also figuring out how to live without driving, or at least less driving. Possibly living near a bus line or bike path .</p>
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<p>Buying local has some advantage for supporting local business and farming. Also increasing one's social life knowing the producers and meeting folks at places like farmer's markets.</p>
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<p>Speaking of cows, I love locally produced Twin Brooks Dairy with it's returnable glass bottles. For some reason, it seems to taste better. I often start my day with their chocolate milk. It's my version of morning coffee.</p>
<p> <br/>I don't drink coffee. My reason for not drinking coffee is not because it doesn't grow around here. I just never learned to like the flavor.</p>Food shortages never seem to materialize here at leasttag:transitionwhatcom.ning.com,2011-01-18:2723460:BlogPost:409182011-01-18T04:51:46.000ZRobert Ashworthhttp://transitionwhatcom.ning.com/profile/RobertAshworth
<p>Seems like food is a bargain compared to the rent or mortgage costs that most people have to pay. I'm lucky because my rent is fairly reasonable, but folks I know are nearly broke just writing out their rent checks.</p>
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<p>As oil gets more expensive, it seems like food is what people think about first. They say it's going to make food, which uses fossil fuel in its production, scarce. Strategies for dealing with this situation revolve around growing more of our own food and even…</p>
<p>Seems like food is a bargain compared to the rent or mortgage costs that most people have to pay. I'm lucky because my rent is fairly reasonable, but folks I know are nearly broke just writing out their rent checks.</p>
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<p>As oil gets more expensive, it seems like food is what people think about first. They say it's going to make food, which uses fossil fuel in its production, scarce. Strategies for dealing with this situation revolve around growing more of our own food and even a return to an agrarian society. </p>
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<p>I have a different point of view. Fossil fuel is only a portion of the cost of food. When that cost is passed on to consumers, the price will go up some, but other things like the price of housing or health care seem to go up much faster. We can survive some fluctuation in the price of things without it bringing society to its knees. The crisis in health care costs seems more likely to bring us down. </p>
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<p>Survivalists often talk about hoarding food, but it may be more appropriate to suggest hoarding one's health as it looks like the economy may have more difficulty affording health care than food.</p>
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<p>As for the cost of oil, I've read that about 20% of our oil consumption goes to agriculture. That's a big chunk, but not as big as the 40% that goes into transportation. Seems like long distance commuting by automobile will be more impacted by price hikes than eating. </p>
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<p>Here is an interesting irony. In preparing for food shortages, some folks wish to live in rural areas so they can have lots of room for growing food. This often means they are more dependent on automobiles than folks who live in urban areas. An answer to peak oil might be to live within walking distance of one's job and a supermarket, rather than having a large garden.</p>
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<p>I think that transitioning to a less oil dependent economy will mean more urbanization rather than less. People living within biking distance of work, or at least along the bus line. It would be good to see more folks thinking in terms of urban strategies for dealing with peak oil. For instance apartment living can save a lot on home heating by reducing the amount of surface area per resident versus detached housing.</p>
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<p>On the other hand I fear that if urban living becomes too popular, the cost of living in town may go up. We will have to think of strategies for affordable housing.</p>
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<p>Some folks feel that our industrial and technological society is about to fall as they notice so many things we use are made out of plastic. Plastic from petrochemicals. I've read that all the plastics we use only account for around 7% of oil consumption. Plastics can come from other sources like biomass as well. Again, it's the automobile that's overlooked and a much bigger factor in oil consumption.</p>
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<p>The future may not be as gloomy as some fear. Technology has the potential to save us. Everything from better solar collectors, windmills and even (dare I say) nuclear power can provide non greenhouse gas emitting energy. In the next 50 years, or so, civilization may not even have to change as drastically as some fear. Even the automobile may survive. </p>
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<p>Currently, it seems like the fiscal survival of our society is more threatened by obesity, with it's effects on health care costs, than peak oil even though these issues are all interrelated. </p>
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<p> </p>After open house gathering on May 8tag:transitionwhatcom.ning.com,2009-05-14:2723460:BlogPost:15532009-05-14T08:50:59.000ZRobert Ashworthhttp://transitionwhatcom.ning.com/profile/RobertAshworth
There was sure a lot of interesting threads of conversation started at that meeting. As someone who came for the first time, I was impressed.<br />
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Of many questions and topics which came up, I remember someone commenting that he thought there needed to be more motivation for people to make changes than just peek oil. Well, here is another motivation. Health. I think about this a lot using the bicycle as my means of transportation. Even if one person's action is just a drop in the bucket against…
There was sure a lot of interesting threads of conversation started at that meeting. As someone who came for the first time, I was impressed.<br />
<br />
Of many questions and topics which came up, I remember someone commenting that he thought there needed to be more motivation for people to make changes than just peek oil. Well, here is another motivation. Health. I think about this a lot using the bicycle as my means of transportation. Even if one person's action is just a drop in the bucket against peek oil, health is a motivator. I can feel the difference from just my own actions. I don't have to wait for the world to change to get the benefit.<br />
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People talk a lot about gardening and local food production. This is good, but my perspective is different. I live near downtown Bellingham in a very small living space. There are other ways to bring about change than just gardening. I've never driven a car and I live within walking distance from my work. Advantages of a denser urban setting.<br />
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There are people who move out to rural areas so they have more food growing space, but then depend on their cars more to run errands and pay the bills.<br />
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Looks like this web site can be a useful resource.