Listen to this PodcastMore 60-Second Earth
Soda and beer. Other than exhaling, bubbly drinks are our closest experience with releasing the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. So as you confront steamy summer, which cold beverage is best—from an environmental perspective?
Massive, oil-lubricated supply chains feed even local craft breweries. And the unintended consequences of the high fructose corn syrup in your soda range from obesity to a dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico.
And then there are the containers. Aluminum is energy-intensive to mine, process and transform into cans—but the lightweight metal is also easily recycled. As are plastic soda bottles. So filling a washable, reusable cup with soda from a plastic container—and then recycling the big bottle—is the environmentally friendly thing to do.
Beer and soda also rely on water. And there's a lot more water in a drink than the drink, whether it's the water used to grow the grain that's fermented into beer or the cooling water required to produce the electricity that runs the soda bottling machines. Or you can cut out the middleman and just drink water. From the bottle-free tap.
—David Biello
[The above text is an exact transcript of this podcast.]
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3 Comments
Add CommentHigh fructose corn syrup is made from corn, a natural grain product. It contains no artificial or synthetic ingredients or color additives and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration listed it as safe for use in food in 1983 and reaffirmed the decision in 1996.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe American Medical Association stated that, “Because the composition of high fructose corn syrup and sucrose are so similar, particularly on absorption by the body, it appears unlikely that high fructose corn syrup contributes more to obesity or other conditions than sucrose.”
USDA data shows that per capita consumption of high fructose corn syrup has been dropping, and yet the rates of obesity and diabetes in the United States continue to rise (http://bit.ly/gESGyL).
Furthermore, corn refiners are leaders in environmental stewardship. Advances in environmentally-beneficial practices in the corn refining industry start at the corn production stage. Farmers have initiated a green revolution by using new technologies and innovative practices that allow them to produce more corn with less energy and fewer resources. They have adopted sound practices in managing the land, reduced pesticide and fertilizer use, improved soil structure, and dramatically reduced topsoil erosion. http://www.corn.org/about-2/contributions-corn-refining/sustainability/
As many dietitians agree, all sugars should be consumed in moderation as part of a balanced lifestyle.
Consumers can see the latest research and learn more about high fructose corn syrup at www.CornSugar.com.
Audrae Erickson
President
Corn Refiners Association
Except that studies have shown that corn syrup - in addition to the environmental impact of the corn that is grown to produce the syrup - raises serious health concerns. While at present inconclusive, correlation is appearing between a high-fructose diet and coronary, diabetic, and metabolic conditions. With the widespread - even prevalent - use of high-fructose corn syrup as a cheap sweetener, it's way too early to say conclusively one way or the other. The data is beginning to show problems, though, which is why it deserves further study and caution in its use/consumption.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSo, please pardon me for my skepticism, but the comfort offered by a paid industry PR person does nothing for me. For all we know, this could simply be the beginnings of what might be viewed twenty years from now as this generation's version of Phillip Morris.
Pardon me, Audrae Erickson, but high fructose corn syrup is itself a synthetic ingredient not found naturally in nature. In fact, this dangerous addictive unbound sugar may be harming the health of Americans for years to come because of the damage it has already caused. Of course diabetes is increasing--you can't stop an avalanche overnight. The lies and deceptions of many American corporations are killing Americans in a most insidious way: through their health.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThese inside terrorists are taking the basic liberties of their fellow Americans--the rights to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" merely for a profit.
Just as the tobacco companies add more addictive chemicals to cigarettes, the fast food industry adds addictive ingredients (HFCS is one) to fast food.
Audrae Erickson constantly quotes the American Dietetic Association that is sponsored by candy, soft drink, and snack corporations:
http://www.eatright.org/corporatesponsors/
Sugar is sugar? Well, deception is deception.
Audrae Erickson, just how much of that artificial red drink from the corn refiners commercials do you personally drink and give to your children?
Fellow Americans, we can choose to free ourselves from deceptive corporate slavery. We can choose what we eat. We can make decisions to not eat fast food, high fructose corn syrup (and the foods that it is in), hydrogenated oils, and added chemicals.
Join me in asking Audrae Erickson how much of that artificial red drink she personally consumes and gives to her children each day.