Overview
I recently took a life changing trip to Antarctica to see what is really happening to our environment as the result of climate change. Before you roll your eyes or gloss over this email, I want you to understand this: Climate change is not just floods, droughts, a hotter planet, and deadly weather events, which are all scary enough to think about. It affects our whole body health—impacting chronic disease, infectious diseases, our food supply, our mental health, and so much more.
On my way to Antartica, I had an important conversation with my friend and climate activist, Amanda Ravenhill, about this very issue. In her words, apathy around climate change is dangerous. And we can't be apathetic because it’s at the grassroots level that we can create change.
In this episode, Amanda and I discuss one of the most critical aspects of climate change and human health—our food system. How we grow, produce, and distribute our food, from beef and eggs to soy and avocados, has tremendous implications on our health and the planet. Nearly every country and scientist outline a bleak picture for humanity if we don’t address the climate crisis. Yet, few are linking it to our food system.
Did you know our food system is responsible for almost half of all greenhouse gas emissions—from deforestation, destructive agricultural practices, and the fossil fuels used for processing, packaging, and refrigeration to food waste? Or that one-fifth of fossil fuels are used for agriculture and our food system? That’s more than all transportation from cars, planes, and ships combined. Government farm policy will only change when we vote with our dollars and our forks. Changes across the board from farming and corporate and government policies can help shift the entire system and help to reverse and prevent further damage. Amanda and I share how we all can be proactive about this pressing issue and why it should matter to each of us. If you care about your health and the health of our planet, I encourage you to listen to this episode.
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