Sciences

What is the environmental impact of a sugar substitute?

Sugar substitutes like Stevia are generally promoted as a health choice. They are low or no calorie and are often significantly sweeter allowing people to use less. But while the health effects are continually the subject of research, the environmental impacts have been less well studied. Suckling and colleagues (2023) have attempted to address this … Continue reading →

Taking care of industrial food waste

In the US, approximately 30-40% of all food is wasted according to the USDA. Generally, on this topic the discussion focuses on how to reduce this number with strategies for every stage of the chain from farm and manufacturing to the consumer. But Saba and colleagues (2023) have taken a different approach. Focusing specifically on … Continue reading →

What do you keep but never use?

I wrote before about things that are too nice to use. At the time, I searched for research on this idea and came up dry. But a recent study has started to fill the gap. Kowalski and Yoon (2022) looked at how the reasons that people are attached to different products impact whether those products … Continue reading →

Submissive or not?

Do you know how to make your diet more sustainable?

I’ve looked into research on food sustainability and to say it’s complex is an understatement. Local good but meat bad; what if it’s local meat? Fruits and veggies good; what if they’re grown with lots of fertilizer and pesticides? What about farming practices and transportation distances and water use? I have a good background to … Continue reading →

How much of a menu needs to be vegetarian?

If you aren’t vegetarian or vegan do you look at the vegetarian section of a restaurant menu? Would you be more likely to choose vegetarian or vegan if those items are mixed in with similar meat based dishes? How about choosing an item from a section called “Environmentally friendly main courses for a happy planet”? … Continue reading →

Making commuting by bike appealing

I was a happy three season bike commuter. I was branching out into winter commuting as well. Then I got run off my bike at an intersection when I was riding on a separated bike path. Five surgeries later I was happily a transit commuter. Then the COVID-19 pandemic happened. I’m now a four season … Continue reading →

Reducing plastic is going to take more than recycling but that’s the extent of most corporate commitments

I think many people have been left with the feeling that not only is recycling enough but it’s also the responsibility of the end user to do the recycling. But corporations have a huge responsibility to reduce plastic waste in all areas of the supply chain. And a large number of companies globally indicate that … Continue reading →

How sustainable are sustainable foods?

I remember a few years ago when a friend shared that they were going to try a vegetarian option for something until they discovered that it wasn’t healthier than the meat option. This kind of assumption is relatively common in my experience: the plant based option is assumed to be healthier and more sustainable. But … Continue reading →

Bacteria based whipping cream anyone?

Okay, I get that a lot of people have a yuck factor for bacteria but we already rely on all sorts of bacteria living inside of us and used in food, yoghurt anyone? So the yuck factor is really based more in how we’re socialized to accept certain things and not others and we can … Continue reading →