From the time I started writing my Water use and Food perception at the Market blog I have been seeing this issue in the paper and radio/TV media outlets. Then I read this article, It's Time To Get Serious about Reducing Food Waste, Feds Say. I really do not know why we allowed so much waste in the first place. Where else can we save any of our resources if saving food is so easy? The Feds can change tax codes to reduce waste through tax savings, accounting rules, legal recourses, air quality, income disparity, and many others. The big picture involves reviewing, adapting, and following through with all administrative systems within the government to implement efficiency starting with the big picture. There are many levels of bureaucracy to look at, but we should start with the biggest return/biggest bang for your buck. This would increase the efficiency of our legal, auditing, and administrative governance issues that are in the way of true efficiency patterns. Looking at basic societal rules which create profit margin to the extent that there is in the medical field as an example, accounting rules, insurance, and the legal world all related to health care. The health care system generically becomes a profit margin but the cost goes up based on the other issues noted irrelevant to health. Let’s fix what is obviously not working for the benefit of the majority of our citizens. Waste of any type should not be acceptable. It only helps the entrenched profit margins for a few. Many of those were put in place to help those industries by the representatives you vote for.
Per this article an estimated 133 billion pounds of food is wasted each year. Buying local solves a lot of these issues. Less transport, less driving, less energy used, less water used saves time and money. Even having a smaller refrigerator and shopping just a little bit more helps. If there is waste, then compost that waste, turn it into energy, feed the animals with the food that can’t be shipped to grocery stores instead of buying dog food or other packaged feeds. All these concepts are integrated in how we live, the use of nature’s resources, the money and effort we spend, love of the earth and its inhabitants, and most of all the comfort of living free. Please put a list together on other such issues with similar waste and tell your representatives about it!
Waste anywhere is just a waste! This article gives the specifics on what I sent months ago to the feds, newspapers, local representatives, and the Natural Resources Defense Council with only a minor response. I will continue to push for a common sense approach to the affairs of society. I hope more people will get involved in issues of common sense, vote informed by facts, talk to others to see their perspectives, learn and grow from each other, and love our planet!
