Created by Kaitline Cho
A healthy earth, A healthy me
A Sow What Journey project by Kaitline
Read about the food network!
Tips on protecting our planet…
…while maintaining your health!
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INTRODUCTION Hello! My name is Kaitline, and I’m a Girl Scout Ambassador. I am currently working on my Sow What leadership journey, which focuses on our food network – no, not the TV show! Haha. The real food network is the complex, intertwined web of farms, factories, distributors, transportation, and stores that gets the food on our plate. It’s invigorating to see how much that bowl of cereal we ate for breakfast affects our planet as well as ourselves. How many grams of carbon dioxide did it take to produce that one box of Froot Loops (from flavoring & coloring to packaging)? How many gallons of fossil fuels burned to deliver milk from a cow to that carton in the fridge? In order to take action on what I learned, I created this magazine to educate family, friends, younger Girl Scouts, and viewers like you!
In this issue of “A Healthy Earth, A Healthy Me” you’ll find information about… the importance of taking care of our planet, tips for eating healthier, and much more. I hope this will help you make healthier decisions for your body and for our home. Thank you for taking your time to look through this and enjoy!
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TABLE of CONTENTS 6 . . . what is the carbon footprint? 8 . . . can we shrink this footprint? 6 . . . are you what you eat? 7 . . . summary 8 . . . applying all that info 9 . . . good for Earth 10 . . . good for me 11 . . . nutrition checklist 12 . . . recipes & menu plans 13 . . . problems to solve 14 . . . pledge
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A man reaps what he sows. Galatians 6:7-8 (NIV)
If we put in an effort towards making wise, eco-friendly decisions . . . we can sustain a safer planet for plants, animals, us and future generations.
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Let’s develop healthy habits! Here are some ideas: -Conserve energy. Don’t forget to turn off the light and unplug chargers when not in use. -Save water. While waiting for the shower to heat up, fill a bucket with the running water until it’s warm. Use that water in the bucket to give your plants a shower! -Make sure to get all the nutrition you need. Keep track of your meals. -Visit your local farmer’s market or organic food store. The closer the tomato farm, the less time it’s been since it’s been picked, and the more nutrients it still holds.
Incorporating…
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what is the…
CARBON FOOTPRINT? The carbon footprint is the measure of carbon dioxide released as we burn fossil fuels (like coal, oil, and gas). It estimates how much our ways of living affect the environment. It is often difficult to make precise calculations because of the numerous different steps involved in producing the food. For example, the average American eats 50 burgers per year. However, each meal can’t just magically appear on our plates! Let’s take a look at the production of each ingredient:
POOF!
1. Ketchup From the tomato ranches in California to the factory in Ohio, spices are added from various sources. At the factory, they also add salt from Michigan along with vinegar and high-fructose corn syrup coming from corn stalks in Iowa. The finished products are taken to the distribution center, where they are distributed to various fast food restaurants. 2. Beef patty Cows from Texas, Nebraska, and Kansas are fed with corn from Iowa. After transported to the integrated feedlot, slaughterhouse, and meat processing plant in Kansas, the patty is taken to the distribution center and then to fast food franchises via refrigerated transporters. 3. American cheese Cows in Wisconsin are fed with Iowa’s corn. Then their milk, processed milk fat, protein, and whey are taken to the factories, where Michigan salt and preservatives are added. The finished products are taken to the distribution center, where they are distributed to the restaurants. 4. Pickle Cucumbers are grown in Georgia. Salt (Michigan), vinegar (from Iowa corn), garlic powder, preservatives, colorings, and natural flavoring are added in North Carolina factories. From the distribution center, the pickles are taken to the restaurants. 6
5. Tomato Tomatoes are hand-picked in Florida and transported to the distribution center then to restaurants. 6. Lettuce Lettuce are hand-picked in California and transported to the distribution center then to restaurants. 7. Mustard Mustard seeds are collected at farms in North Dakota. At the factory, it’s processed with turmeric (India) and distilled white vinegar (Iowa corn). The resulting mustard is taken to the distribution center and then the restaurants. 8. Bun Wheat (Kansas) is processed through the mill then taken to the bakery. Here it’s baked with sesame seeds (Mexico), dough conditioners & preservatives (Wisconsin), canola oil (Canada), yeast (Mississippi), and vinegar, high-fructose corn syrup, and cornstarch (Iowa). The finished buns are taken to the distribution center and the fast food franchises. All eight ingredients come from all over the country to make…
your burger!!! woohoo!
As you can see, the production of a fast-food burger takes up a LOT of energy from lighting, feeding, watering, refrigerating, and machine-functioning at every farm, ranch, factory, mill, bakery, distribution center, and fast food franchise. Not to mention all that transportation between the states! In the United States, the burger process has produced enough carbon as 6.5 million SUVs – per year.
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can we
S H R I N K this footprint
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As you can see to your left, our carbon footprint upon this world has been huge, and the U.S. is the second largest producer. However, the government has created several programs and regulations to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emissions.
The five sectors responsible for carbon dioxide emissions from energy consumption include: residential, commercial, industrial, transportation, and power. The biggest reduction from 2007 to 2012 is in the Power Sector. This decrease of CO2 emissions are caused by reduced consumption or demand, expanded renewable power supply, and the switching of fuels (from coal to cleaner, more efficient natural gas). This one’s the most Therefore, it is crucial that we support government important factor! efforts to reduce CO2 emissions. We should also try our best to switch sources of fuel to natural gas! You don’t have to be a factory owner to make a switch. There are eight alternative fuels defined in the U.S. Energy Policy Act of 1992: ethanol, natural gas, electricity, hydrogen, propane, biodiesel, methanol, and P-Series fuels. Out of all the different causes for CO2 emissions, let’s look at transportation for now. You can make the switch to a car that runs on electricity or a hybrid of electricity and gas. Newer cars are being developed to run on mixtures of natural gases that are more efficient and eco-friendly because they produce more power, using less. Many buses in California now run on natural gas. Riding buses allow a large number of people to take one trip altogether on the same vehicle – especially one that hurts the environment less. So choose your rides carefully! Note: Natural gas DOES produce carbon dioxide. However, it produces 30% less than oil does and 45% less than coal does. So it doesn’t have as big of an impact on global warming as other greenhouse gases do. Also, natural gas does not add to air pollution (oil & coal produce ash particles).
Carpooling is fun! 9
Now‌
how can we reduce our carbon footprint through
FOOD CHOICES ? 10
Steps from GoodGuide & other sources 1. Eat foods that are local a. As you’ve seen in a burger’s foodprint on page 6, greater foodmiles means more CO2 emissions. Despite arguments that what you eat is more important than where it came from, the distance a food has travelled still leaves a big impact on our planet and we should reduce the amount of harm when possible. 2. Organic a. Organic farming captures and buries CO2 in the soil through composted manure and crops that nourish the ground with organic matter. According to the Rodale Institute, IF the U.S. converted all farms to organic production, it would reduce as much carbon as removing 158 million cars! b. Some argue that organic farming emits methane and nitrous oxide which are harmful; however research is still in the process and organic farming definitely helps reduce our carbon footprint! 3. Seasonal a. Fresh fruits sold in the winter are usually grown in greenhouses, which require a LOT of energy. Or they can be imported, which if by air, emits 6 times as much CO2 as ground transportation. b. Find what fruits/veggies are in season when here: http://localfoods.about.com/od/searchbyregion/a/SWFrVe ggies.htm
Visit your local farmer’s market! 11
4, Eat less beef, pork and lamb c. Why it’s bad for the Earth: According to GoodGuide, producing 1 pound of beef uses 29 times more water than producing 1 pound of chicken! Cows need to eat a LOT of plants in order to convert them into flesh we can eat, which uses up so much water d. According to PETA, raising animals instead of crops exploits water and soil, cuts down trees to make room for grazing, and pollutes rivers with animal waste. e. So many fossil fuel emissions! More than 1/3 of all raw materials and fossil fuels are used to raise animals for food d. Why abstaining meat is beneficial for you: “Bacterial alchemy” -When you regularly eat meat, bacteria in your intestine begin to feed on the carnitine from red meat and produce *TMAO, increasing your risk for heart disease. (carnitine in chicken, fish, and dairy products are in far smaller amounts & have not been connected to heart disease). But recent research shows that VEGANS produce less TMAO after taking carnitine supplements, which means less risk! *TMAO is a chemical found in red meat that changes the metabolism of cholesterol and slows removal of fatty deposits on the walls of arteries.
e. You don’t need to completely stop eating meat. I’m a meat-lover myself, so I understand how difficult that would be! Instead, simply reducing your diet to once every two weeks like Dr. Hazen of the Cleveland Clinic can reap benefits for the planet and for your health! 12
Have fun with Meatless Mondays! Here are some delicious ideas & recipes:
http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/ quick-recipes/dinner/meatless-mondayrecipes/?page=1
If you decide to go vegan, remember to “spill the beans” & get your protein from other foods! For a 2000 calorie diet, the recommended daily value for protein is 50 grams. Here’s a quick guide on what to eat: http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2010/02/11/eating-vegan-where-do-you-get-your-protein/
5. Eat fewer dairy products a. Like meat, dairy products are guilty of massive CO2, nitrous oxide and methane emissions. b. 10 liters of milk are used for 1 kg of cheese 6. Drink fewer soft drinks & bottled water or recycle plastic bottles a. If ALL drinking containers discarded in 2012 had been recycled, 15.6 million metric tons of greenhouse gases would not have been released. Soda is not good for your teeth and stomach either! b. It takes 3 liters of water to make 1 liter of bottled water 7. Eat fewer packaged snacks & junk food a. More than ½ of all plastic packaging is used to package food. Plastic is not biodegradable and therefore can hurt many animals, esp. in the ocean b. junk food is just bad for your health! Treat yourself to these snacks loaded with harmful trans fat, refined grains salt, and high-fructose corn syrup very very rarely. 8. Eat wild fish that are not endangered a. Look here for some tasty sustainable recipes by the Monterey Bay Aquarium: http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/recipes/default.aspx?c=ln
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That means‌ if you eat good food, then you are a good, healthy & fit person. 14
But wait, what’s all that?!
According to the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, we waste 4 billion tons of food every year, all around the world! This could have fed some of the 870 million people in the world who are undernourished (World Food Programme). Not only are people’s feelings hurt – the Earth is sad too . In the U.S., wasted food decomposes in landfills and contributes to 25% of methane emissions. Just because an apple had a small dent in it, it doesn’t mean the apple is not good food. It still contains all those yummy nutrients you need! 15
Seeing food for its TRUE VALUE Food was grown to be eaten. Think about all the energy taken into producing every meal – not only that of your mom, but also the efforts of all the land, water, farming, harvesting, factories, transportation, money and more that were put into it. Eatable foods should be nourishing people’s bodies, not sitting in the landfill emitting greenhouse gases! According to the IME, 30% of harvests never actually reaches supermarkets. Food waste happens at every stage of production, transportation, and storage. However, in industrialized nations, wasteful consumer practices is the main problem.
The next time you take a trip to the market, please do not neglect the “ugli” fruits. They may not be perfect because of accidental scrapes/bruises, spillage during harvest, etc. If you leave it on the shelf, stores will throw them out, adding to the pile of rejects already gathered at the farm.
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cover s it y b it t a fru 1. Don’t jus
2. Spend wise ly & plan ahea d. Do you really need a whole box of apples now, or will t hey go bad bef ore you finish ? 3. No more leftovers!
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A QUICK RECIPE When our family has a lot of leftovers from side dishes that haven’t gone bad, we make KOREAN BIBIMBAP. That’s mixed rice! 1. Fill your bowl with rice, add a bit of sesame oil and gochujang (Korean chili paste). 2. Gather leftovers like seasoned spinach, bulgogi, lettuce, carrot/cucumber scraps – or cut up pieces of yesterday’s chicken. 3. Add whatever you want, mix & enjoy!
USEFUL IDEAS 1. Freeze your foods to prevent them from going bad. But be cautious of food frostbites or funny odors! Check out more freezing tips here: http://www.tasteofhome.com/References/Tips-for-FreezingFood 2. Keep in mind that for expiration dates, “sell by” differs from “use by” 3. Make jam or dry fruits to help them last longer 4. Discover new uses for fruit skins! You can clean greasy messes, clean your tea kettle, dye fabric, and more with natural ingredients that are easy to use after peeling a fruit. http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/responsible-living/stories/20-uses-forleftover-fruit-and-vegetable-peels
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ANOTHER RECIPE Have any leftover chicken or steak? Or some salsa from last night’s party? Let’s make a BRILLIANT BREAKFAST BURRITO:
1. Cook your leftover chicken, steak, or sausage 2. Scramble some eggs 3. On a tortilla, add the meat, eggs, salsa, onions, tomatoes, avocados, cilantros, beans, potatoes, anything else 4. Wrap it up & enjoy! You can eat the burrito with salad or your favorite fruits on the side!
And of course, don’t forget your necessary nutrients each day!
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Together, we can make the effort to reduce our carbon footprint, offset our negative impacts, slow down global warming, and protect our planet. Because what’s good for our home is also good for ourselves. Let’s do it!
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BIBLIOGRAPHY Page 6 …………
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Credits - carbon footprint: http://www.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/carbon-footprint.htm - Carbon Footprint of a Bowl of Cereal: Your Morning Fuel by danspira: http://danspira.com/2008/12/04/carbon-footprint-of-a-bowl-of-cereal-your-morningfuel/ - What is your dinner doing to the climate? By Bijal Trivedi in the New Scientist magazine - Sow What leadership journey book, “The Food Print of a Burger” (16,17) - Which Government Policies and Other Factors Have Reduced U.S. Carbon Emissions? by John Miller: http://theenergycollective.com/jemillerep/211171/government-policies-and-otherfactors-have-reduced-us-carbon-emissions - Top 8 Alternative Fuels by Larry West: http://environment.about.com/od/fossilfuels/tp/top_alt_fuels.htm - Are there CO2 emissions from natural gas? by Danielle Fisher: http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/energy/emissions-natural-gas.htm - 10 Ways to Reduce Your Environmental Footprint: http://www.goodguide.com/slideshows/2009/4/11/reduce-your-environmentalfootprint?jmid=866&j=232057354 - What You Eat is More Important Than Where It Came From: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080421161338.htm - Organic Farming Lowers Your Carbon Footprint. What About Your Methane Footprint? http://organaholic.com/2011/01/03/organic-farming-carbon-footprintglobal-warming-methane-nitrous-oxide/ - How does eating meat harm the environment? (PETA): http://www.peta.org/about/faq/How-does-eating-meat-harm-the-environment.aspx - Vegan Eats Steak, Shows Why Going Meatless is Good For You: http://www.care2.com/causes/vegan-eats-steak-shows-why-going-meatless-is-good-foryou.html
13 ………… - Sodas and Your Health: Risks Debated: http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/sodas-andyour-health-risks-debated - 4 Most Harmful Ingredients in Packaged Foods: http://www.rd.com/health/dietweight-loss/4-most-harmful-ingredients-in-packaged-foods/ 15 …………… - 5 Astonishing Facts About the Food We Throw in the Trash: http://www.takepart.com/photos/food-waste-facts. 18 ………….. – The New Think, Eat, Save Campaign Wants to Help You “Reduce Your Foodprint”: http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2013/02/02/think-eat-save-reduce-food-waste/
PHOTO CREDITS Page All Rights Belong to 1 …………… - happy earth: http://trekalong.com/hotonthetrail/files/2011/04/happy_earth.png starry wallpaper: http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2011/014/7/2/simple_starry_background_by_anzuaid375apr.jpg 2 …………… - cereal/meat food print: http://danspira.com/2008/12/04/carbon-footprint-of-a-bowl-of-cereal-your-morning-fuel/ 4 …………… - farmer: http://bestclipartblog.com/clipart-pics/farmer-clip-art-4.gif 6 …………… - footprints: http://mlbrough.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/footprints.gif empty plate: http://cflhungeraction.org/event/set-an-empty-plate-at-dinner/ happy cow: http://watermarked.cutcaster.com/cutcaster-photo-100376378-fully-editable-vector-happycow.jpg beef patty clipart: http://us.cdn2.123rf.com/168nwm/kgtoh/kgtoh0708/kgtoh070800711/1519196grilled-burger-patty-meat-dish-3d-isometric-illustration-hand-drawn-retro-lineart-sketch.jpg 7 …………… - plankton: http://www.pitt.edu/~spj14/plankton.jpg burger: http://vector.me/files/images/1/2/124105/cheese_burger_clip_art.jpg green, blue & red distribution trucks: http://img3.etsystatic.com/010/0/6655410/il_fullxfull.455172179_7w9y.jpg 8 …………… - carbon footprint: http://www.stanfordkaystudio.com/images/footprint1.png 9 …………… - CO2 emissions graphs: http://theenergycollective.com/jemillerep/211171/government-policies-and-otherfactors-have-reduced-us-carbon-emissions happy bus: http://www.cteconsultingservices.com/imagestore/graphics/2009-2008-02-graphics/2230708002-low.jpg traffic cars: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/Rb5UZflOiPA/UFFef8Bjj4I/AAAAAAAAA0g/ngZmMe0dAs0/s1600/stock-vector-car-traffic-jam74043355.jpg 10 …………… - food choices: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/bTeP5stEsWs/TdstJId9sBI/AAAAAAAAADQ/zHVVmbvR_WQ/s1600/food_choice_0421.jpg 11 …………… - farmer’s market fresh foods: http://dtfjihky7xwic.cloudfront.net/sites/default/files/styles/article_image/public/Activities/Shopping/farmers-marketveggies.jpg 12 …………… - wasted food emissions: http://static.ewg.org/reports/2011/meateaters/images/wasted_food_emissions.jpg 13 …………… - meatless Monday cartoon: http://thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Meatless_Monday.png recycle: http://02e2b6d.netsolhost.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/recycle_logo.jpg 14…………… - you are what you eat: http://www.zengardner.com/wp-content/uploads/You-are-what-you-eat1.jpg 16 …………… - food waste cartoon: http://www.wastemanagementworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Food-waste.jpg 17…………… - blank todo list: http://straightenyourpaths.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/bigstock-Blank-To-Do-List27249434.jpg 18…………… - bibimbap: http://www.snixykitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/SpicyPorkBibimbap.jpg -
leaf footprint: http://www.udel.edu/earthweek/images/foodprint.png
Let’s continue our efforts in sustaining …
A healthy earth, A healthy me
THANK YOU!