How much does eating locally-produced food help the climate problem? What are the other potential environmental and social benefits of eating locally-grown/produced food? Do you have a food garden in your school or at home? If not, do you want one?
Home Grown >
Home Grown
A home-grown garden helps reduce climate change. For reasons such as not using gas to go to a grocery store or reasons like not having to give money to support high prices for an avocado. A home-grown garden allows the owners to receive fresh produce without having to pay a price for the number of products. Helping lower climate change, reasons as to why people should have them.
I agree with this statement, however, more information could be added. You mentioned that driving to the grocery store as opposed to walking to your backyard will use more gasoline, which originates from pumping oil out of an oil rig, but those emissions are not the only ones that come from buying rather than growing. Going to the grocery store to purchase products releases indirect emissions, which the GHG Protocol (Greenhouse Gas Protocol) describes as “a consequence of the activities from the reporting company but occur at sources owned or controlled by another company.” In this scenario, this would be the CO2 emitted from the growing, harvesting, and transport of, say, a bag of almonds. Even though it just seems like going to the store to buy a bag of almonds, you also have to factor in the carbon emissions from crop dusters and multiple semis to get it from farm to store.
There are also mental health benefits of growing food. Charlie Hall, Ph.D., says that hands-on activities like gardening can help to reduce stress. Hall said in an interview for Texas A&M University that “Increased access to green spaces also reduces psychological distress, depression symptoms, clinical anxiety, and mood disorders in adults. Stress reduction and mental restoration occur when individuals live near green areas, have a view of vegetation, or spend time in natural settings.” He also said that living in a house that has the green color of plants can help to reduce depression, increase attention spans, and overall brighten your mood.
Sources
https://www.climatepartner.com/en/scope … lete-guide
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/a … 5516301401
https://agrilifetoday.tamu.edu/2020/05/ … al-health/