Call me a cynic, but I’m always skeptical when a powerful, multinational corporation announces any sweeping green initiative. I can’t help but pull back the shiny press release and look behind it. In the case of Carl’s Jr.’s recent unveiling of a flagship green restaurant in Carpentaria, Calif. there was one glaring omission – the food.

This list of goodies from Carl’s Jr. will get a green building expert all hot and bothered:

- ENERGY STAR rated appliances
- Solar reflective roofing material to reduce cooling needs
- Rainwater collection system
- Smart irrigation and energy management systems
- LED parking lot lights
- Construction with low-emitting material
- A catalyst that converts charbroiler particulate into carbon dioxide and water

But without addressing the food system’s impact on the environment (especially the fast food system) this initiative leaves a food activist like me cold.

According to the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 31% of all greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture.

Livestock production accounts 18% of all emissions worldwide (more than transportation). Deforestation to make more room for agriculture and meat production also causes huge emissions.

Food waste is another big one. There have been some interesting studies in the UK.

Nitrogen fertilizers used in large-scale conventional agriculture are other big contributors.

And for all you locavores out there, I hate to tell you that transportation is a smaller part of the picture than people often assume (though there are plenty of other great reasons to eat locally). Production and processing are bigger contributors.

Obviously we have to eat, so we’ll never do away with food’s impact entirely. But there are some things we can do to lessen our own impact. The biggest change you can make is to eat less beef and cheese (or none at all). Oops, that eliminates most of the fast food menu, doesn’t it?

Eat less processed food. Eat organically grown foods that weren’t fertilized with conventional fertilizers. Don’t waste food. If you take all of these steps, it’s hard to see how you could eat in a fast food restaurant with any regularity at all – however green that restaurant might be.

Further reading:

Circle of Responsibility

The Media and Food’s Contribution to Climate Change

Image: Patrick Kitely