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 >
The Pros of Having A Garden
There comes many benefits when growing food in your own home both internally and worldwide. You get the pleasure in watching the vegetation you planted grow. Knowing where your food came from, it is much easier eating from your garden than buying something at the local grocery store. Many mass farming production companies use harmful GMO's and pesticides to enhance their produce which causes many to be hesitant and question what they are eating. To get something from your garden is not saves money but is so much more nutritious and healthy than getting food from far distances. Having your own garden is also very sustainable, benefiting the cause of ending the Earth's climate problems. Vegetables and fruits coming from long distances hurt the atmosphere through the heavy amounts of carbon dioxide and other gases being emitted into the sky. This can prove to be very non-ecological due to it taking up so much energy through growing, packaging, and sending.
I like how you included that companies temper with our food by adding GMOs. There's so many benifits from growing locally or at home! I totally agree with you and I believe that as a society growing our own food will be a great first step to not hurting our Earths atmosphere. People will be saving money, eating delicious food, and saving our planet at the same time
I like what you said about the healthy benefits of having a garden. Not only should people by motivated by a desire to help our environment, but people can use gardens as a way to add to a healthy lifestyle. I think that everyone eliminating some of the food they buy from far away by having a garden could have a significant effect on our total CO2 emissions.
I agree with Nick on the many benefits of having your own garden. The ecological impact is far less devastating and it is a very self-sufficient way of growing your own food. However, when you stated that it "saves money", that may not always be the case. The initial setup cost can be very expensive since it requires equipment and supplies. According to Livestrong, home gardening may not be ideal due to the large amount of crop loss from pests. And when inexperienced home-gardeners turn to chemical pesticides, that even may be worse in the long run. Furthermore, companies don't "use harmful GMOS". GMOS are the product of "genetic tweaking" and the stigma surrounding them are not fair considering the benefit they have brought. Again, this topic raises the question of "Which is more sustainable? Small, self sufficient and local farmers or large-scale production of genetically modified foods?" We are an ever growing population, with 795 million people, (1/9 people on Earth) who are in chronic undernourishment (according WHES) and we need to find a way to feed the world. Bel ow are some links that will give some insight on the topic:
http://www.worldhunger.org/about-whes-hunger-notes/