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article/7xm8ab/this-is-how-bad-your-
As a consumer, the best thing you can avocado-obsession-is-for-the-world;
do with an avocado is to “make sure that “How Much Water Does It Take To
it doesn’t go to waste,” says Cumberlege. Grow An Avocado,” old.danwatch.dk/
Avocados also require an astonishing “… avocados will not last days in the en/undersogelseskapitel/how-much-
amount of water to grow, some 320 fridge after they have been prepared, so water-does-it-take-to-grow-an-
liters per fruit. “The UK’s imports of [they] should be enjoyed sooner rather avocado.
avocados contain over 25 million cubic than later.”
meters annually of virtual water—
Dear EarthTalk: Is it true that my avocado equivalent to 10,000 Olympic-sized CONTACTS: “Green Gold: Global
habit is bad for the environment and my swimming pools,” reports Eldridge. Avocado Boom Destroying Mexico’s EarthTalk® is produced by Roddy
carbon footprint? “With global temperatures rising and Forests,” https://sputniknews.com/ Scheer & Doug Moss for the 501(c)3
water becoming scarce, this has serious latam/201608121044220909-avocado- nonprofit EarthTalk. See more at https://
— J. Pilsen, Olathe, KS mexico-destroy-forests; “This Is How Bad emagazine.com. To donate, visit https://
Your Avocado Obsession Is for the earthtalk.org. Send questions to:
World,” https://www.vice.com/en_uk/ question@earthtalk.org.
Avocados
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Compared to other fruits and vegetables impacts on local communities who do 373 E. Imperial Highway, Fullerton, CA 92835
that are grown closer to home, eating not have access to drinking water.”
avocados—most of which are flown in from
Central America—can be a drag on your Furthermore, the global popularity of
carbon footprint. Furthermore, they require avocados in recent years has led to August 2020
a lot of water, fertilizers and pesticides to “monoculture” farms that grow only
grow, further complicating this seemingly one crop over and over, degrading soil
“green” superfood. quickly and requiring increasingly
more chemical fertilizers and VIEW SERVICES on the INTERNET
Avocado’s environmental impacts come pesticides. Surging demand has also led
from the “energy, water, fertilizer and to rampant deforestation, especially in www.CSLFullerton.org
pesticides required to grow them, the areas like Mexico’s mountainous
resources used for packaging materials and Michoacán. A researcher from Mexico’s
the energy used in processing, transporting National Institute for Forestry found click Sundays/Past Services
and keeping them cool to preserve their that avocado production tripled there
freshness,” Tom Cumberlege of Carbon from 2001-2010—causing the loss of
Trust tells Vice.com, also pointing out that some 1,700 acres of forest annually. Call for prayer & updates
some of the biggest markets for avocados are
in the UK, northern Europe and Canada.” Compared to meat, avocados are still
a much better deal for the 714-525-1126
Despite that avocados can now be grown environment—and much less of a drag
around the world, the majority of them on your carbon footprint. Indeed, the
(upwards of two metric tons annually) come Evening Standard reports that eating a Choose Faith over Fear
from Mexico. “A Mexican avocado would kilo of lamb generates some 46 times
have to travel 5,555 miles to reach the UK,” the carbon emissions as the average
reports Honor May Eldridge of the non- pack of avocados. Enjoying a piece of Are there other churches that would like
profit Sustainable Food Trust. “Given the farmed salmon will also increase your
distances, fruit is picked before it’s ripe and carbon footprint more than having a listing here? Send information to email
shipped in temperature-controlled storage, some guacamole or avocado toast every
which is energy intensive.” now and again. nbynews@juno.com - Attn: Amanda
August 2020 5