Читать книгу Zero Waste Cooking For Dummies - Rosanne Rust - Страница 31

Today’s world looks very different than it did in the 1960s. Global population has almost reached 7.9 billion people in 2021. That’s about 6 billion more people than in the 1920s and double the people of the 1960s. That’s a lot of mouths to feed. The need for water is also at a critical junction in many areas of the Western United States, including California, which produces about 50 percent of the fruits and vegetables brought to market year round. In addition, about a third of the world live in poverty with limited access to energy, water, or food. So, you see, focusing on sustainability is as important to humanity as it is to the planet.

We also now consume more resources than ever. Urban areas consume more power than rural settings, but we all use resources to light buildings, power appliances, and heat offices and schools. It’s estimated that we use more resources each year than we put back. However, farmers are pretty efficient.

According to the International Food Information Council’s (IFIC) 2021 Food & Health Survey, 42 percent of the 1,014 consumers surveyed (ages 18 to 80) believed their food choices have a moderate to significant impact on the environment. However, the perceived factors (sustainably sources labeling, recyclable packaging, non-GMO labels, locally grown) that those surveyed equate with “environmentally sustainable” don’t necessarily relate to actual sustainability practices and may not be well regulated or defined. Opinions vary by generation as well. About 54 percent of Baby Boomers and Gen X say it’s “at least somewhat” important that the food they buy is environmentally sustainable, whereas 61 percent of Millennials say it’s “very/somewhat” important. Those surveyed agreed that it’s difficult to know whether a food choice is environmentally sustainable, with 53 percent agreeing that if it was easier to understand the environmental sustainability in food products, it would influence the choices they make. That, my friends, is part of the goals of this chapter and this book — to help you understand the bigger picture.

From a personal perspective, it’s important to understand how to conserve in your own household so that your grandchildren will continue to reap the benefits of safe and adequate housing and food.