Times Health writer Rosie Mestel reports that,

in a letter published Friday in the medical journal Lancet, two scientists write that obese people are disproportionately responsible for high food prices and greenhouse gas emissions because they consume 18% more food energy due to their greater body mass — and require increased quantities of fuel to transport themselves and the food they eat. “Promotion of a normal distribution of BMI would reduce the global demand for, and thus the price of, food,” write the authors, Phil Edwards and Ian Roberts of the evocatively named London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

Ms. Mestel immediately questions the validity of the claim and wonders if similar logic could place the blame on individuals with high metabolisms who consume increased amounts of food to maintain their active lifestyles, which many would call healthy.

Like so many articles, the real fun starts when readers’ comments begin. Here, they range from wholeheartedly agreeing with Phil Edwards and Ian Roberts, to expressing frustration at the silliness of the study and diversion of focus away from real issues such as sustainable energy sources, to fat-bashing then back to enviro-bashing. It’s all pretty fascinating. Once fingers start pointing and assigning blame, one might as well be playing spin the bottle – you never know who will end up on the receiving end.

What do you think about the “study”’s conclusion? Does our weight have any correlation to our environment? Does our body mass affect global warming, or, as one commenter posits, does global warming affect our body mass?

Many thanks to Alicia from Mental Health Notes who shared this article.

Post from: Blisstree

Stop Eating! You’re Making Me Hot!

proposed a new target…for stopping the growth of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions by 2025. The president also called for putting the brakes on greenhouse gas emissions from electric power plants within 10 to 15 years.

“To reach our 2025 goal, we will need to more rapidly slow the growth of power sector greenhouse gas emissions so that they peak within 10 to 15 years and decline thereafter.”

That’s good to hear, but the president still isn’t crazy about bills like the Climate Security Act, which would place mandatory caps on emissions from facilities that emit more than 10,000 CO₂-equivalents of greenhouse gas in any year. The Environmental Defense Fund reports that these covered facilities are responsible for about 75 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. According to CNN, this is what Bush has to say about that,

“I believe that congressional debate should be guided by certain core principles and a clear appreciation that there is a wrong way and a right way to approach reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” Bush said. “Bad legislation would impose tremendous costs on our economy and American families without accomplishing the important climate change goals we share.”

How do you feel about cap and trade legislation? Is it the right way to address greenhouse gas emissions? The Climate Security Act is scheduled to be considered by the full Senate in early June. Are you in favor of its passage?

Image: Newscom

Post from: Blisstree

How Does Bush Feel About “Cap and Trade” Legislation?

45%

Increase in world’s solar generating capacity in 2005.

2

Rank of China as global producer of solar cells, behind Japan (U.S. ranks 4th).

$1.5 billion

Amount US government spends a year on renewable energy research.

$1 billion

ExxonMobil’s daily revenue.

$2 billion

Amount GE Energy Financial Services invested in wind, solar, biomass and geothermal energy in 2007.

$200 billion

Amount China has committed to invest in renewable energy sources over the next 15 years.

0.74%

Projected cost of smart cap-and-trade climate policy on US economic output in 2030.

100%

Projected growth of the US economy by 2030.

53

Number of senators supporting cap and trade legislation.

0

Number of bills passed by Congress to cap and reduce America’s global warming pollution.

Want to help change the numbers? Use this link to write your Congressperson to ask him/her to support strong global warming legislation that sets a strong cap on America’s global warming pollution and rewards energy innovation and new technologies.

Post from: Blisstree

Global Warming by the Numbers

They also have a quiz where you can test your knowledge of global warming facts and stats – “the first step is knowing enough about it to see through the deception and into the real solutions.” You might be surprised at your knowledge and the answers to questions like: How many bills has Congress passed to cap and reduce U.S. global warming pollution?

It’s not an easy quiz but it does have lots of useful information, empower yourself with knowledge at Care2.

Post from: Blisstree

Care2 Test Your Global Warming Smarts?