By:Ken Fisher, Sierra Club Outing Leader

 

Water footprint is defined as the amount of fresh water utilized in the production or supply of the goods and services used by a particular person or group. Keep in mind that the water footprint of you food is only a part of the environmental impact of your diet --land use, fertilizer use and whether those are chemical or organic, how far and by what method your food is shipped, and social considerations regarding land use are also components.

 

This article focuses on how much water your food consumes, and here are some startling opening facts: Globally, agricultural production accounts for 92 percent of our water footprint. In the United States, meat consumption alone accounts for a whopping 30 percent of our water footprint. 

 

Note: In general thes e figures have been derived from work done by  Waterfootprint.org and represent gallons of water consumed per pound of food (except for beverages, whose volumes are listed). They represent global averages, not specific conditions in any one place.

 

If you want to really reduce the water footprint of your food then eating a diet where fruits, veggies, and grains for the vast majority of your calories is clearly the way to go; it also happens to be healthier, cheaper, and better for carbon emissions . But even here there are some big variations:

Lettuce -- 15 gallons
Tomatoes -- 22 gallons
Cabbage -- 24 gallons
Cucumber -- 28 gallons
Potatoes -- 30 gallons
Oranges -- 55 gallons
Apples -- 83 gallons
Bananas -- 102 gallons
Corn -- 107 gallons
Peaches or Nectarines -- 142 gallons
Wheat Bread -- 154 gallons
Mango -- 190 gallons
Avocado -- 220 gallons
Tofu -- 244 gallons
Groundnuts -- 368 gallons
Rice -- 403 gallons
Olives -- 522 gallons

Chocolate -- 2847 gallons (One pound of chocolate being quite a serving of chocolate...)

 

Meat & Dairy

This is where water intensity really starts increasing. If you want to reduce the water footprint of your diet, this is where you want to really cut back:

Eggs -- 573 gallons
Cheese -- 896 gallons
Butter -- 2044 gallons
Chicken -- 815 gallons
Pork -- 1630 gallons

Beef -- 2500-5000 gallons

Beverages

You want something to drink and keep your water footprint as low as possible? Tap water is probably the best thing, but even the most frugal person wants some variety, so here is how the water footprint of some beverages breaks down:

Tea (8oz) -- 7 gallons
Coffee (8oz) -- 29 gallons
Beer, barley (8oz) -- 36 gallons
Wine (8oz) -- 58 gallons

 

Sunday, December 6, 2015, 10:00 am: Hike Little Talbot Island State Park

The Little Talbot Island State Park hiking trail is a 4-mile loop trail that offers the chance to see wildlife and sea life and is good for all skill levels. The first half of the hike is on a beautifully wooded trail with some minor elevation changes. Soon you will see sand dunes, then you'll hear the roar of the ocean, and finally we will be on the beach! The second part of the hike consists of walking on the beach back to the starting point. Bring a picnic lunch for after the hike, or we can go eat lunch at the Sandollar Restaurant near the Mayport Ferry.

Please join the outing for fellowship and walk with nature. The park's address is 12157 Heckscher Drive, Jacksonville, Florida 32226.We will meet in the parking lot just past the ranger station, around the bend, on the left.  Please note the park's entrance fees of $5.00 per multi-occupant vehicle and $4.00 single occupant vehicle. Suggest bringing water, sunscreen, insect repellant, and a hat; kids are welcome, but please no pets.

RSVP on Meetup or with outing leader Ken Fisher at  904-210-7765 /  [email protected].

Saturday, December 12, 10:00 a.m.: Kayak Bulow Creek
Let's paddle Bulow Creek in Flagler Beach, a state designated paddling trail.  We'll launch from Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park, go upsteam about 3 miles then back to our launch, just under 7 miles roundtrip. Most of this area on the freshwater creek is wild and scenic. Canoes can be rented from the park office at  386-517-2084.  Here's a link to the paddling trail   and a link to the park website . 

Please pay the $4 fee per car at the "iron ranger."  Follow the signs to the canoe/kayak launch.  Arrive by  9:30 am to unload your kayaks and get your gear ready so we can launch at  10 am.The address is 3501 Old Kings Road, Flagler Beach. It's about 1-1/4 hours from the Jax area.

After the paddle, we can explore the plantation sugar mill ruins in this fabulous state park.Feel free to bring lunch to enjoy at the picnic tables. There are three other state parks nearby that you can visit on your own; Bulow Creek State Park (with the amazing 800-year-old Fairchild Oak), North Peninsula State Park and Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area at Flagler Beach.

Remember to bring water, snacks, hat, insect repellent, sunscreen and PFD. RSVP on Meetup or to Outing Leader Andrea Conover at  [email protected]