Read Krugman, think globally, act locally

As is usual, Paul Krugman's column today (use this link to read the original) about the sharply rising price of staple foods provides valuable insights into a vexing problem. Clearly, the problems he discusses are global. Yet it is possible for each of us to make changes which could prove very important collectively.

Krugman notes that raising meat is a lot less efficient means of producing food than raising crops for direct consumption. We don't need to become vegetarians to make a difference (although I do think it would be a great idea!), but by simply reducing the amount of meat we eat we can easily conserve arable land. Reduce demand for meat, and free land to feed others. Our dietary choices do matter globally.

Similarly, changes in our shopping behavior can make a real difference. To the extent that we increase the proportion of our food which is grown locally, we decrease the energy costs of its transportation. To the extent that we buy organically grown food, we decrease the demand for petroleum-based fertilizers. We don't need to be 100% pure to have an effect.

We can get smarter about our driving, combining errands and using alternative, more fuel efficient means of travel when feasible. Obviously we can move towards more fuel efficient cars, but perhaps just as important, we can keep cars longer and thereby reduce the resource costs of producing automobiles.

Do these things, we'll also save a good bit of money along the way. If enough of us do it, we may also redefine what living affluently means, making less wasteful practices more attractive to people around the world striving to become as affluent as we are.

We can also commit to voting for legislators and a president committed to energy conservation and intelligent usage of available resources, and also to pressuring them as candidates before their election and incumbents afterwards to work towards those goals. We can let them know that working to feed the poor of this world is a better use for our tax dollars than continuing a ruinous, illegal and counterproductive war in Iraq. It is disturbing that Senators Obama, Clinton and McCain seem so tightly wedded to ill-considered ethanol programs, but we can and should let them know that we think they're wrong on this issue, and that it matters to us.

Each of us can make a difference. Our choices matter, and if enough of us do it, our collective impact can be huge.

Note: this was originally posted on ketches, yaks & hawks 8 April 2008