Saturday, April 2, 2016

Climate-Food Connection

You may have noticed that our March for Climate Action is on the same day as the Mayor's Neighborhood Conference: Food in the City. This is not a coincidence. We thought this would be an excellent opportunity to show people (or remind them of) the connection between climate and food/gardening. The warmer temperatures, droughts, heat waves, floods, and increased pests that come with climate change are going to affect food production, globally and locally. Droughts and food and water shortages linked to climate change are already occurring and contributing to global instability.

But... growing food locally and gardening in urban areas can both minimize and mitigate climate change! Locally grown food has a much smaller carbon footprint than food transported across the country, or from the other side of the world. And any green spaces (instead of pavement) in urban and suburban areas will help us cope with the warmer temperatures and extreme weather events of climate change. Among other benefits, green spaces can reduce heat buildup (e.g., urban "heat islands") and reduce runoff during storm events. Read more here.

Join us on April 9th to help raise awareness of this and other ways that we can make a difference!

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