Couch Potatoes are Environmentally Friendly

[drplokta]

Apparently, if you are concerned about global warming, you should drive instead of walking wherever possible. Your fuel (food) produces more greenhouse gases in its production and use than your car's fuel (especially if you eat a lot of beef and dairy produce).

Comments

[wag-9393.livejournal.com]

Hmm. Strikes me that there is an assumption there that driving a car uses 0 calories?

[purpletigron.livejournal.com]

No, that it's not significant above basal metabolic rate, I think.

The important assumption is that your bulk calories are from industrial livestock farming. The energy efficiency ratio of industrial beef is about 0.08, ISTR. That's about the most inefficient and environmentally damaging way that we can currently get our bulk calories. Home-grown potatoes can be 100 times more energy (and thus, CO2e) efficient.