A Change in Diet
Here's a challenge for all of you. The expedition team is not going to eat beef for the rest of the adventure. Can you? We were sent some information regarding beef's impact on the Earth, and the amount of carbon dioxide needed to raise cattle. By lowering the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere, we can reduce the rate of global warming.
Food accounts for 13% of all greenhouse gas emissions. Red meat and dairy are responsible for nearly 1/2 of all greenhouse gases from food for an average U.S. household. Replacing red meat and dairy one day per week with chicken, fish, and eggs reduces emissions equal to 760 miles per year of driving. Switching to vegetables one day per week cuts emissions by the equivalent of driving 1,160 miles per year.
Based on this information, we are going to make different food choices instead of eating hamburgers, steaks, or canned beef (not that we eat too much beef on the trail). What are some simple decisions we all can make to keep a reduced carbon diet? What could you do to help reduce your food's greenhouse gas emissions?
As far as answers to yesterday's Daily Dilemma, we received many ideas about how people can coexist in the rainforest without harming it. We knew it was a hard question, and we received many thoughtful responses. However, we received this answer from K. Hoag's room 303, and thought it was brilliant.
Room 303's response
First, it was important to come up with reasons why the rainforests are so necessary. Then we'll come up with ways to coexist.
We should not cut down the rainforest because:
1. A lot of plants and animals will die and may become extinct because of loss of habitat!
2. That part of the land may become warmer because the trees that take up CO2 will be gone plus the shade will be gone.
3. The ground will lose moisture and may become more desert-like.
4. We would lose forever the oxygen those trees make.
5. Understory trees will also die out.
6. We would lose sources of fruit.
7. We will be destroying plants that may have a medicine for diseases, and we have explored only a small part of what is in the Amazon.
Ways to coexist:
1. Replant where trees are taken for the selling logs.
2.We could keep pushing to recycled paper and wood products and cut back on beef eating to take away some of the reasons for cutting down the trees. Also, encourage people to use rags rather than paper towels.
3. Somehow, with help of some good architects,find a way to move houses into the rainforest, at least in sections.
4. Instead of growing plants for money, train people to become plant hunters.
5. We also need to stop using the Amazon animals as pets, and buy animals that are raised by the pet stores.
6. Set aside more important land for parks and preserves and then enforce them.
Our class found out that "saving the Amazon" is easy to say, but hard to do.
We also wanted to let you know that we distributed a Claremont Academy t-shirt and a hat to our new friends from Sao Jose du Supresa, Luzivan and Valzenir. These two friends were so kind in taking us out fishing for piranha today that we wanted to give them something special to remember us by. We will be having a futbol contest soon to give away our other Claremont T-shirt.
Reptiles have been hard to find so far, but today we did find a Yellowfooted Tortoise. It was really cool to watch crawl around, and we were amazed by how thick its shell was. We also learned that Yellow footed Tortoise can get really large. Some have a shells that is almost 2 feet long!
Based on this information, we are going to make different food choices instead of eating hamburgers, steaks, or canned beef (not that we eat too much beef on the trail). What are some simple decisions we all can make to keep a reduced carbon diet? What could you do to help reduce your food's greenhouse gas emissions?
As far as answers to yesterday's Daily Dilemma, we received many ideas about how people can coexist in the rainforest without harming it. We knew it was a hard question, and we received many thoughtful responses. However, we received this answer from K. Hoag's room 303, and thought it was brilliant.
Room 303's response
First, it was important to come up with reasons why the rainforests are so necessary. Then we'll come up with ways to coexist.
We should not cut down the rainforest because:
1. A lot of plants and animals will die and may become extinct because of loss of habitat!
2. That part of the land may become warmer because the trees that take up CO2 will be gone plus the shade will be gone.
3. The ground will lose moisture and may become more desert-like.
4. We would lose forever the oxygen those trees make.
5. Understory trees will also die out.
6. We would lose sources of fruit.
7. We will be destroying plants that may have a medicine for diseases, and we have explored only a small part of what is in the Amazon.
Ways to coexist:
1. Replant where trees are taken for the selling logs.
2.We could keep pushing to recycled paper and wood products and cut back on beef eating to take away some of the reasons for cutting down the trees. Also, encourage people to use rags rather than paper towels.
3. Somehow, with help of some good architects,find a way to move houses into the rainforest, at least in sections.
4. Instead of growing plants for money, train people to become plant hunters.
5. We also need to stop using the Amazon animals as pets, and buy animals that are raised by the pet stores.
6. Set aside more important land for parks and preserves and then enforce them.
Our class found out that "saving the Amazon" is easy to say, but hard to do.
We also wanted to let you know that we distributed a Claremont Academy t-shirt and a hat to our new friends from Sao Jose du Supresa, Luzivan and Valzenir. These two friends were so kind in taking us out fishing for piranha today that we wanted to give them something special to remember us by. We will be having a futbol contest soon to give away our other Claremont T-shirt.
Reptiles have been hard to find so far, but today we did find a Yellowfooted Tortoise. It was really cool to watch crawl around, and we were amazed by how thick its shell was. We also learned that Yellow footed Tortoise can get really large. Some have a shells that is almost 2 feet long!