Brewing climate change? What your morning joe means for a warming world – National
After the morning jokes, the climate crisis could be looming. A new study suggests that global coffee production is facing an “increasing challenge” from extreme weather.
Research published in PLOS Climate .
The announcement follows research earlier this year that suggested coffee brewing and consumption habits could have an impact on climate change.
Researchers at the University of Quebec analyzed carbon emissions from four different coffee preparation methods.
They used life cycle assessments to help translate production into pollution, using data on machine builds, capsules, packaging, and emissions associated with the agricultural stage.
The final version of their research has not yet been published, but they shared some of that scientific paper in their next article. Conversation in January.
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They found that drip filter coffee has the highest carbon emissions.This is due to the higher content of ground coffee used to prepare the drink, which consumes more electricity.
In their analysis, coffee brewed using a French press produced the second highest amount of carbon dioxide on average.
Studies have suggested that instant or soluble coffee has the lowest carbon footprint and is the greenest option when using the recommended amount of coffee and water per cup.
Pods or capsules proved to be the best choice when other methods used 20% excess coffee and twice the amount of water required.
Luciano Rodríguez Viana, PhD student in environmental sciences at the University of Quebec Cictimi (UQAC) said:
However, they are bad for the environment because they end up in the landfill, he told Global News.
Their analysis adds to previous studies comparing the environmental impacts of coffee-making methods.
2009 study A study published in the Journal of Cleaner Production showed that drip filter coffee had the highest environmental impact per cup.
Instant coffee, on the other hand, was a greener option than capsules.
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According to Viana, coffee production is the stage that uses the most greenhouse gases, regardless of how the coffee is prepared.
This is due to the modernization of the agricultural sector, which requires intensive irrigation, fertilizers and pesticide application, all of which can emit greenhouse gases.
When it comes to tea, each kilogram produced emits more greenhouse gases compared to coffee, Viana said.
However, it takes more coffee to make the same amount of drink, so for every liter of consumption, roasted and ground coffee emits up to four times more greenhouse gases than tea. There is likely to be.
Should I quit coffee?
Viana says you don’t have to stop drinking coffee to save the planet.
At the consumer level, the most effective way is to avoid wasting coffee and water.
Governments and multinationals have a bigger role to play in fighting climate change.
Viana said coffee-producing countries and companies must create “the economic and technological conditions necessary for the emergence of coffee production that is less dependent on irrigation systems, fertilizers and pesticides while avoiding deforestation.” said there is
Reintroducing traditional shaded coffee plantations, using organic and inorganic fertilizers, and installing biodigesters for wastewater treatment can also help.
He said we need to encourage the use of recyclable and reusable cups to limit the environmental impact of single-use cups.
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Canada has launched a single-use plastic ban to reach zero plastic waste by 2030.
The manufacture and import of plastic ring carriers (often used in beverage containers) will be banned in June 2023, and sales will be banned in June 2024.
As part of that push, Canadian restaurants are beginning to introduce eco-friendly options.
December 2022Tim Horton’s has launched a 12-week pilot of plastic-free, recyclable textile hot drink lids in Vancouver.
This year, the coffee chain also started introducing compostable wooden and textile cutlery.
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
