Top 10 green living myths – 10. What they tell you: Buy local
What they don’t tell you: The transport of goods accounts for a small but significant proportion of the human impact on the climate. It generally makes environmental sense, therefore, to favour local food and other products.
However, it’s not always true that local is best. One study suggested that lamb from New Zealand, with its clean energy and rich pastures, has a lower footprint when consumed in the UK than locally produced lamb, despite the long-distance shipping.
Another study showed that cut flowers sold in Britain that had been grown in distant but sunny Kenya had a smaller carbon footprint than those grown in heated greenhouses in Holland.
So while transport is important, it’s not the only factor to consider.
via Top 10 green living myths | Duncan Clark | Environment | guardian.co.uk.
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