Wasted food

U.S. Wastes 2 Percent of Its Energy on Uneaten Food

For the folks who won't buy an electric car, put solar panels on their roof, or turn off the lights when they leave the room, there's a painless solution that can help even them reduce their carbon footprint -- stop wasting all that food! According to the latest research, the United States could save the equivalent of 350 million barrels of oil every year by not producing those tons of food which get tossed out every day.
In a recent study, researchers discovered that food production in the U.S. requires some 1.4 billion barrels of oil each year, from growing, packaging, preserving, and transporting the stuff that ends up on your plate. And Americans really like food; It's estimated that between 8 and 16 percent of total US energy consumption gets poured into producing the food we consume -- or planned on consuming, that is.
For all this energy spent of food, Americans are throwing a shockingly high amount of it away. According to estimates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Americans toss out around 27 percent of the food they buy -- and that's after the dog gets its share....
Considering the skyrocketing obesity rates, reducing the amount of food dished out could be beneficial to the nation's health as well. Smaller portions and eating locally grown food are both ways Americans could cut down on their carbon footprints -- while slimming down their waistlines, too.

Remember mom's saying - eat all your food - think about all those starving folks. The new rule - put less on your plate , save energy, lose weight and then help out those who don't have enough good food to eat.