University of Bristol
Wellcome Trust
Recommended by:
Society of Biology
PEEP for Physics & Ethics at GCSE
 

The Carbon
Express


Station: Food Mile Calcultors

Question: How do you calculate food miles?

Background:

  • There is considerable debate about how you calculate food miles.
  • The most accepted calculator is known as the WASD or Weighted Average Source Distance.
  • You can find out about this by visiting the  Life Cycles website.
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Your task:

  • Choose 5 things you have eaten recently which you know come from a local source.  Use the  calculator from the Life Cycles website to find out the food miles saved and how this is converted into saved carbon dioxide emissions.
     

Discussion:

  • Will these results change the way you shop and eat?
  • What other reasons are there for shopping locally?  Get some ideas from  here.

Next station:

  • If you are interested in the results you have gained from this station, travel onto the next where you can investigate Food Miles more fully.

 

Next:  Food miles investigation