The Carbon Footprint Of An Apple

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applesSo you thought the shiny, juicy, deliciously crisp apple could not possibly have a negative impact on the ecology? Well think again!

Recent reports have suggested that apples grown in New Zealand and exported to Europe have an enormous carbon footprint and according to estimates these apples generate greenhouse gases almost equivalent to their own weight. So every kilo of Braeburn or royal gala apples that Europe consumes, almost the same amount of greenhouse gases are caused to be released into the atmosphere.

This is a classic example of why it is that ecologists and green supporters lobby for people to use local produce. Most produce that we use has some impact on the environment and more it is processed and the farther away it is transported from the place of production or growth, the more negative is the impact upon the environment likely to be.

Firstly there is the energy consumed in the production and the processing; then there is the energy and resources consumed in packaging (the further the produce has to go, the more secure needs to be the packaging) and then there is the shipping…. This is the reason that locally grown, produced and sold produce is one of the solutions to the energy crisis: Buy Local, Use Local!

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