Another reason to feel guilty about the excesses of Christmas lunch even before its happened.... I read in the news today that an academic at Edinburgh university has calculated that on average it takes 84,612 miles for your christmas dinner to reach the plate. Thats if you have all the traditional trimmings - sprouts, stuffing, chestnuts, cranberries etc. So the aeroplane carrying this festive fare would emit 31 million kilograms of carbon dioxide - thats the same as the yearly emissions for over 48,000 semi detached family homes. So the lunch that lasts a few hours leaves an indelible carbon mark on the environment. Actually in our house it probably leaves even more carbon through over-cooking.
Got me thinking about our GBVChallenge. Was I committing a crime against the planet by seeking to travel through the A-to Z of vegetables out of season? So far artichokes and aubergine - none of which originated anywhere near Britain and now its asparagus which I think will probably be coming from Peru. Trouble is if I was to stick to UK vegetables in season it could get dull - as a challenge that is.
I did have one small feeling of smugness though - apparently Tom Cruise had his flunkies search the markets of Rome to satisfy his need for nuptial artichokes. As they are out of season in Italy, there was a shortage. If I had known I could have pointed them to a stall in Kentish Town where there were hundreds up for grabs....
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