Help!! Feel guilty about my carbon footprint

[Pissenlit]

So, I am more or less 4 weeks high raw and quite convinced with the health benefits and enthusiastic with the spirit. Alas, I also have a BIG moral problem...

Cashews, avocados, bananas, mangoes... you know what I mean. Those guys have a long carbon-fuelled journey before they get to my plate.
And frankly, if I had to stick to the locavore way only, (apples, pears, dandelions and cabbage) there's no chance I could stay raw more than half an hour.

I know cutting out animal products and buying mainly organic vegs and fruits is good for the environment. But on the other hand, I can't help feeling guilty about all those exotic foods. It looks like one of the skewed ways of modern society to me. My grandparents never ate oranges on a regular basis : it was a Christmas treat...

Is this ridiculous ? How do you deal with this ? Your words of wisdom and comfort will be much appreciated !

Cheers,
Sophie

[Dimond]

If I were in that situation, I would get as much raw food as possible from whatever sources I needed to regardless. I wouldn't worry about it. You need to do the best you can for your health. As you've mentioned, you're already helping by not eating animals. You can't be responsible for everything.

I live where there are more raw options, yet often a majority of it isn't local. If I had to restrict myself even further, I would never have stayed raw. I already have my main two rules-100% raw & organic and rarely do I deviate from this (other than occasionally non-organic).

[klomasius]

I would NOT worry about buying from non local sources at all!

I wrote the grant and helped with the research for the booklet below and I can tell you that cutting out meat and dairy is THE biggest thing you can do to reduce your carbon footprint.

Think of it this way, eating an average steak is akin to leaving all the lights in your house then hopping in a hummer and driving around for THREE HOURS!

Compared to the average meat and dairy eater, your carbon footprint will be miniscule. Couple that with the fact that you are eating less or no processed and/or packaged foods and the footprint is reduced further.

So worrying about not eating all local is really not productive, just enjoy your food, you are doing great!


http://www.vnv.org.au/site/files/articles/eatinguptheworld.pdf

[Pissenlit]

Think of it this way, eating an average steak is akin to leaving all the lights in your house then hopping in a hummer and driving around for THREE HOURS!

Whoaw. Blasting comparison !

Interestingly enough... I am involved in the management of a EU campaign about climate change and Moby was the first of participating artists. Quite upfront he made this bold statement about animal products accounting for an enormous share of carbon emissions during the press conference... yet politicians of all sorts, and even Al Gore, fear to endorse such a disturbing fact.
http://www.moby.com/journal/2009-08-20/just-arrived-sweden.html

Food is said to be one of the strongest, deepest cultural 'acquis' to mankind. Add this to the power of lobbies, and here we got all stuck. Hopefully not forever !!

[Revvell]

We can only do what we can do. All the people involved in getting your food to you have jobs and they're not being poisoned as so many are, by the herbicides and insecticides sprayed on many other foods.

If it's REALLY bothering you, move to where you don't have to have food imported. Your guilt leaves a larger imprint on your being and well-being than anything you're eating ~ and makes what you ARE eating, indigestible.

[Stina]

Well, I canceled mine out by giving up my vehicle and bicycling everywhere!

[Tsurugi_Oni]

I wouldn't worry about the whole carbon footprint thing. I think people WAY overstate the importance of that statistic. It's not about releasing carbons, but about what purpose you're burning fossil fuels for.

Simply do what you must to be healthy. Why are you so concerned about your pursuit of health when other people are using that fuel to make pre-packed snacks, big screen t.v.s', and other harmful things? What if we had the same carbon footprint, except we used those fuels to transport food to the poor, re-cultivate barren soil, feed/house the poor, construct public food gardens/forests, etc.? Both of these scenarios emit the same carbon footprint yet it's impossible to equate them. The issue runs much deeper. Do what you have to to be healthy.

[Green_Woman]

It's not about releasing carbons, but about what purpose you're burning fossil fuels for.

Unless, of course, you're the trophosphere/stratosphere... ;)

Guilt is a useless emotion unless it prompts you to change. Once you have that prompting, shed the guilt and take action. Move forward, and do the things you believe you must to implement the changes you feel you need to make.

Along the way, accept that Life is a Journey, and requires Steps.

[rawrawks]

I am more concerned with the heartprint I leave on the earth (as in ,how much love I have, and show, for the earth and all its creatures, human, plant and animal).
Attached artwork I created stating this.

[Pissenlit]

Please don't speak as you love me... Act as you love me

Learning to compromise. Yesterday went grocery shopping and I choosed the mango that came on a boat over the mango that came on a plane. Shouldn't eat very many mangoes, though.
Tried a persimmon for the frist time in my life (the big, japanese kind). Didn't care too much for it : that one will be easy to drop.
Found out the new arrival of apple at the organic store. From France at the farthest, thus rather local. Woaw, they are fantastic! This one will be an easy guilt-free staple for the autumn.

Step by step...

[Pissenlit]

I wouldn't worry about the whole carbon footprint thing. I think people WAY overstate the importance of that statistic

Let me disagree. Energy issues and climate change are a brutal reality and we may be forced to face a very grim future due to our own carelessness.

And the footprint is everywhere because our profit-based society has decided that low-cost workforce and delocalisation are the single secret to a healthy economy (!!!). Shrimps captured in the North Sea are shipped over to Tunisia for removing the shells and sent back up North... Brussels sprouts in Belgium are imported from Guatemala... Green beans from Kenya (wtf?...they used to grow in all grandmother's backyards). Let me not event venture into all the goods produced by overexploited people in super-toxic environments at the other end of the world. This all adds up.

Footprint is made of ugly things. Everyone should care.