A new study from the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization found that the 1.3 billion tons of food wasted every year make it one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions.
Reducing food waste can have myriad social, economic, and environmental benefits. But a new report has put a number to the impact on global warming that uneaten food has every year. "The world throws away one-third of food produced yearly, making food waste the third-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions behind those produced by the U.S. and China, according to a U.N. report released Wednesday," writes Ricardo Lopez. "[T]he U.N. estimated the carbon footprint of the problem is equivalent to 3.3 billion tons of carbon dioxide every year."
"All of us -- farmers and fishers, food processors and supermarkets, local and national governments, individual consumers -- must make changes at every link of the human food chain to prevent food wastage from happening in the first place, and re-use or recycle it when we can't," said FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva.
FULL STORY: One-third of food wasted worldwide harms environment, U.N. says
Massachusetts Has the Nation’s Only Successful Food Waste Ban
The state has reduced its methane emissions by 25.7 percent per ton of waste following a law that seeks to eliminate food waste from landfills.
Driving Equity and Clean Air: California Invests in Greener School Transportation
California has awarded $500 million to fund 1,000 zero-emission school buses and chargers for educational agencies as part of its effort to reduce pollution, improve student health, and accelerate the transition to clean transportation.
California Invests Additional $5M in Electric School Buses
The state wants to electrify all of its school bus fleets by 2035.
Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?
Paris Voters Approve More Car-Free Streets
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo says the city will develop a plan to close 500 streets to car traffic and add new bike and pedestrian infrastructure after a referendum on the proposal passed with 66 percent of the vote.
Making Mobility More Inclusive
A new study highlights the challenges people with disabilities continue to face in navigating urban spaces.
Texas Bills Could Push More People Into Homelessness
A proposal to speed up the eviction process and a bill that would accelerate enforcement of an existing camping ban could make the state’s homelessness crisis worse, advocates say.
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