Think globally, eat locally
October 15th, 2007 | Published in Google Books
When it comes to making our lives more “green,” one easy place to start is right in front of us – our plates. Luckily for our palates, environmentally friendly foods come in a variety of colors, shapes, and flavors. A diet high in locally grown, seasonally available foods is not only tasty and good for you, it's also good for the planet. One of the better books on the topic is The Omnivore’s Dilemma, by Michael Pollan. I learned about how many locally grown foods don't have added preservatives, since they're purchased and eaten right away. And by choosing to buy locally, we're also saving on the fuel for transporting them elsewhere.
Like many Googlers, I don’t have the time to cook as much as I’d like. But when I do, I find it hard to resist a trip to my local farmer’s market. I love to do a "Cafe 150" and get creative coming up with dishes that use in-season vegetables and fruits. Book Search is a good resource for finding recipe books that you can use to cook up these lovely treats.
You can also find books about the slow food movement. Not everyone knows just what slow food means (although we’re certainly familiar with its antithesis!). The basic idea is that when more people choose locally grown foods, we'll all be healthier and protect the Earth at the same time. I’m far from an expert myself, but I like the idea of learning to enjoy food while still keeping my impact on the environment to a minimum. If you'd like to learn more, follow the links above -- and if you want to read more thoughts from Googlers on the environment, check out today's post on Blog Action Day on the main Google blog.