Different foods require different amounts of energy to produce. Meat is four times as demanding as grains are. If consumers would gravitate toward less intensive foods, energy use would drop. Reducing the enormous amount of food that is wasted would save energy as well. Check out the data and commentary below, expanding on "More Food, Less Energy" in the January 2012 issue of Scientific American.
Credit: Jen Christiansen, Source: University of Texas at Austin
ABOUT THE AUTHOR(S)
Michael E. Webber is a professor of energy resources at the University of Texas at Austin and head of the Webber Energy Group there. He is also chief science and technology officer at ENGIE, a global energy and infrastructure firm in Paris that operates the world's largest independent electricity company as well as large natural gas networks. Follow Michael E. Webber on Twitter Credit: Nick Higgins
