Can you cut 1 Tonne of carbon pollution out of your life?
Take the challengeMinneapolis native and YouTuber Andy George took six months to create a sandwich and all its ingredients entirely from scratch; his video documenting the process has gone viral, with more than 1.4m views in the past two weeks.
He grew his own veggies, made salt from ocean water, milked a cow for cheese and butter, ground his own flour from wheat, collected his own honey, made pickles and credits the process with educating him about the global food supply chain.
This video shows how he made a sandwich over the course of six months.
Warning: for anyone squeamish or against consuming animal products, he also kills a chicken (shown in the video).
"I spent 6 months and $1500 to completely make a sandwich from scratch."- Andy George
So, what did he want viewers to take away and learn from the experiment?
An appreciation for the invisible side of the society we live in, and the stuff we use every day. Also to learn about things that go into our food that people take for granted.
"Now it's hard for me to waste any food, I want to use it all," Andy said.
Why does it matter?
Andy is not the only one disconnected from the food system. Many of us don't give a second thought to where our food came from beyond the supermarket shelves.
"The average person is less involved in the creation of their own food supply. And we do lose something by not having that connection," George told the Guardian.
"It's good to make your own garden and keep in touch and be aware of where your food actually comes from."- Andy George
If you've ever started your own garden, you'll know it takes a lot of time, care, love and attention.
Growing your own instills a true sense of the value of food. It's also a great way to reduce carbon pollution emissions that occur in the food supply chain, areas including transport, processing and food waste. It also makes a surprisingly powerful statement about reducing our reliance on others for basic sustenance.
Large yards with plenty of sun can grow enough herbs and vegetables to significantly supplement your household's needs, and even small homes and apartments can have herb pots on balconies and windowsills. (Have you seen this genius cheat sheet for growing vegetables yet?)
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This family grows their own food in an urban environment, bringing the country to the city!
1 Million Women is more than our name, it's our goal! We're building a movement of strong, inspirational women acting on climate change by leading low-carbon lives. To make sure that our message has an impact, we need more women adding their voice. We need to be louder. Joining us online means your voice and actions can be counted. We need you.
