The Astronomical Environmental & Social Costs of Food Waste

Table of Contents

• Food Waste Prevention Week

• The First Open Ocean Carbon Removal Project in the …

• Climate Proxy Season 2024

• How to Recycle Leftover Eclipse Glasses

Food Waste Prevention Week

If food waste were a country... it would be the third largest greenhouse gas emission-producing country in the world.

It’s officially Earth Month, which begins with Food Waste Prevention Week. I never really thought about food waste, aside from memories of being told to eat everything on my plate.

Yet, when I started reading statistics about food waste, my mind was blown away.

• It's estimated that the water wasted in growing lost or wasted food could meet the domestic water needs of 9 billion people.

• According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), approximately one-third of all food produced globally for human consumption is wasted. That’s 1.3 billion tonnes every year.

This waste occurs at all stages of the food supply chain—from production, processing, and distribution to the end consumer.

The Invisible Loss - Production and Distribution:

Food waste begins long before groceries reach our shopping carts. During production, fruits and vegetables deemed ‘ugly’ or not meeting size standards are often discarded. Additionally, during transport and storage, inadequate infrastructure leads to spoilage of perishable goods. These losses are especially poignant considering the resources such as water, land, and labor invested in producing food that never reaches our plates.

The Visible Culprit - Consumer Behavior:

At the consumer level, our eyes often seem larger than our stomachs. We buy more food than needed, misinterpret expiration dates, and readily discard leftovers. Such behavior is not only a direct hit to our wallets but reverberates throughout the ecosystem. The evidence is clear: household and office food waste is a habit that exacerbates the problem of climate change.

Food Waste and Climate Change:

Behind the simple act of tossing food lies a complex web of climate implications. Let’s unpack them:

• Methane Emissions - Turning Waste into Warming:

  • When organic matter like food decomposes anaerobically—without oxygen—in landfills, it emits methane, a greenhouse gas with over 25 times the heat-trapping capability of carbon dioxide. As uneaten food piles up in landfills, it forms a potent cocktail of emissions, stirring the pot of our warming planet.

• Resource Squander – The Chain Reaction:

  • When food goes to waste, so does the water, energy, and labor that goes into producing it.

• Deforestation and Biodiversity Loss:

  • To meet the demands of the global food supply, forests are cleared, threatening biodiversity, releasing stored carbon, and further contributing to climate change. The tragedy here is twofold: we risk the planet's health for food that may never be consumed and lose precious ecosystems that could help combat atmospheric carbon.

• The Emission Intensity of Food Production:

  • Different foods carry different environmental weights. Meat and dairy, for instance, tend to have higher greenhouse gas emissions. When these high-impact foods are wasted, they represent an even larger slice of the climate change pie.

• Moving Towards Solutions:

  • Minimizing food waste can drastically alter our climate trajectory, and the solutions lie at every stage of the supply chain.

• Innovations in Production and Infrastructure:

  • Advancing technology in food production and improving transportation and storage infrastructure can salvage a considerable amount of food before it becomes waste. Initiatives like precision agriculture can optimize resource use, while investments in cold storage solutions can protect perishable goods.

Food Waste Policy and Education – A Dual Approach:

Governments can play a role by implementing policies that discourage wasteful practices, like incentivizing supermarkets to donate rather than discard unsold food.

At the same time, public education campaigns can help consumers understand best before dates, proper food storage, and the environmental impact of their food choices.

Empowering Consumers - At Home & The Office:

As consumers, we wield immense power. By planning meals, buying only what we need, embracing 'ugly' fruits and vegetables, and innovating with leftovers, we can curtail the amount of food we waste. Every saved morsel is a small victory for the planet.

In the office, it’s important to audit current practices throughout the entire cycle. That means looking into producers, shipping, handling, meal planning, to-go containers, disposal, and donations. Something as simple as decreasing portion sizes can have a major impact.

Community Composting and Biogas:

Instead of sending food waste to landfills, community composting programs can turn it into nutrient-rich soil for local agricultural use. Alternatively, capturing methane from decomposing food to produce biogas provides renewable energy, showcasing waste as a potential resource rather than a pollutant.

Conclusion:

The intersection of food waste and climate change offers both a stark warning and a glimmer of hope. The consequences of our current habits undeniably contribute to global warming, yet within this challenge lies the potential for impactful change.

Together, we can transform a tale of waste into a sustainable narrative for our planet—one bite at a time.

To learn more about steps you can take to lessen your food waste, visit FoodWastePreventionWeek.com.

The First Open Ocean Carbon Removal Project in the U.S. Just Got a Green Light

This summer in Duck, North Carolina, Vesta's innovative project will deploy 9,000 tons of olivine near the coastline to test its carbon sequestration capabilities. Olivine, a mineral mined in Norway, Spain, and the USA, reacts with seawater CO2 to form stable minerals, potentially locking away carbon and combating climate change. This project, a significant environmental initiative, marks the first U.S. carbon removal endeavor with federal approval, aiming to assess its impact on marine ecosystems and carbon cycle dynamics.

Emerging trends and early outcomes signal an impactful 2024 proxy season for climate-related proposals

Proxy season refers to the period, typically in spring from April to June, when many publicly traded companies hold their annual general meetings (AGMs). At these meetings, shareholders vote on key corporate matters such as board member elections, executive compensation, and strategic issues affecting governance.

The term 'proxy' derives from the proxy statement, a document issued to shareholders before an AGM, outlining the matters to be voted on. This enables shareholders, unable to attend in person, to vote by proxy, delegating their vote to a company management member according to their directions.

Proxy season is crucial as it allows shareholders, including institutional investors like pension funds and mutual funds, to influence a company's direction. This period also focuses on debates over corporate governance, executive pay, and environmental and social policies.

This year, according to Ceres, there have been 56 climate-related resolutions leading to agreements between investors and companies, often resulting in the withdrawal of resolutions in return for company action. Proposals related to greenhouse gas emission reductions and climate transition plans are predominant, constituting 28% of the resolutions tracked, aligning with recent years' trends.

How to Recycle Leftover Eclipse Glasses

The eclipse is coming on April 8! Astronomers Without Borders has been sending solar glasses for annular and total solar eclipse since 2008. Click the link to find collection partners or sign up to be one!