Why Local?

The question has been presented to me: Why Local?
First, let me point you to a fabulous book called The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan. He really opened my eyes to the many problems with our current super industrialized agriculture and its effect on our environment.
For instance, did you know that today it takes "between seven and ten calories of fossil fuel energy to deliver one calorie of food energy to an American plate" and further that "only a fifth of the total energy used to feed us is consumed on the farm; the rest is spent processing the food and moving it around."
So buying your asparagus from argentina, your tomato from Mexico, your apples from Chile, means you are not only getting much less fresh food (it's got to be picked early so it does not rot when it gets to you) but you are also basically eating a lot of petroleum (how do you think they get the food from Mexico to the U.S. to your grocery store?).
We have really stopped thinking about our food and where it comes from. As Mr. Pollan so aptly puts it, "people put more work into choosing their mechanic or house contractor, than they will into choosing the person who grows their food."
I never thought about it that way but its certainly true.
By going as local as I can, I really want to put my food where my mouth is. So to speak.

Oh Brother

Well, if nothing else, this attempt is going to save me money. Yesterday I went shopping for clothes. I tore through the racks, hunting down any clothing that was not made in China. I found a handful of things (albeit, only one thing that was made in the U.S. and that thing not the least bit attractive on me) and went to try them on. Lo and behold, a marvelous skirt. Only I had to put it back. China. Made in China. Argh.

I left the store and went to Trader Joe's Grocery Store. Its a healthy food store, lots of organic and natural foods. I anticipated that purchasing local would be much easier here, than say, in Giant Eagle. Stop one, Fruit snacks my sister told me about. High in fiber, low in fat. Made in New Zealand. Back to the shelf it went. Stop two: Cheese for the pizza I would make that night. Imported from Italy. Stop Three: Tomatoes for the pizza. Imported from Mexico. How about sundried tomatoes? Imported from Turkey.
I left with a much smaller amount of food than I wanted. But with a lot more frustration than I anticipated.

It is not easy to find things made locally, or even just in the U.S. This job I have set for myself is going to require more work and cleverness than I had anticipated. So why I am I doing it? I'm saving the world, people, one piece of returned clothing at a time.

Can I do it? Let the game begin.

Can I live locally? By this I mean, can I live a year purchasing only local foods and products that are not made in China? I choose China because, let's face it, alot of the stuff we buy is made there. Turn over your vegetable peeler, look on the tag of your favorite t-shirt, read the back of that new baby toy you just bought. More likely than not, it says "Made in China." I have nothing against China, and in fact hope to visit one day, but I do find it aggravating that so many of the things we use each day are made overseas. Recently, it took me three stores to find a baby outfit that was not made in China -- it was made in Indonesia, which I grant wasted a lot of fossil fuel getting to my local Macy's. But the point is, I had to go to three different stores, and tear through racks and racks of pink and blue onesies before I found a single outfit made somewhere besides China. When you start paying attention to where the items you use were made, it becomes astounding. Just think of all the energy being wasted in shipping these mass quantities of items to our local stores.
And so, here I go. I am going to attempt to live as locally as is possible.
Step One. I am going to refrain from purchasing items made in China.
Step Two. I am not going to purchase imported food.
Baby steps, baby steps. But here she goes!