"Importing is bad and causes added emissions."
It is true that transporting a good from point A to point B can be the most environmentally detrimental part of the whole products lifespan. The amount of transportation that it takes can cause a hike in emissions and the carbon footprint. Naturally imports must be bad because of the increased distance, right? Well not really.
For example, in the United States it is reported to be "less ecologically damaging for Americans east of the Mississippi to import wine from France than from California."* The same can be said about lots of different products.
The main point is that there is a lot more that goes into having a low carbon footprint than just where the product originates. There is a whole value chain to consider. This is why companies like Tesco are working on ways to create a carbon footprint scale so that all products can have a rating so consumers have the power to make better decisions. When it comes down to it, the average consumer is not going to calculate all factors in the unseen value chain of a products creation in order to figure out what is the most green. Instead we look for key words - organic, cage-free, green - that indicate to us that they are good, whether that's true or not.
Tesco may be making a real difference when it comes down to creating a carbon scale, and hopefully one that sticks. We are far away from a measure like this because of all of the factors that go into a carbon footprint, like would the fertilizer on the plants be factored in, or the molding of the containers? There is a long way until figuring out how to quantify emissions but the hope is that one day becoming a green consumer becomes easier.
Right now the best thing that you can do to influence your purchasing decision is to look into who you are buying from. Do they treat workers fairly? Do they use lots of plastics? Do they have strong corporate governance? Find companies that you love and you know what? If they're not from your hometown or even the US that's okay too!
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