INTRODUCTION
As the human population continues to experience exponential growth, currently exceeding 6.7 billion people, our unsustainable consumption and waste threaten the stability of our ecological life support system. Scientists believe that humans are approaching or have already exceeded the Earth’s carrying capacity, defined as the maximum population that can be supported without lasting detrimental effects to ecosystems. At the 1997 Kyoto Climate Summit, The Union of Concerned Scientists set forth a Call for Action, which was signed by more than 1,500 scientists from 63 countries, including 110 Nobel laureates and 60 US National Medal of Science winners in an appeal to reason: “Human activities inflict harsh and often irreversible damage on the environment and on critical resources. If not checked, many of our current practices put at serious risk the future that we wish for human society and the plant and animal kingdoms.” Fortunately, many of the solutions to these challenges are available today. As members of the global economy, we can turn the tide and shift our course toward one of balance. The Green Restaurant Association (GRA) is working to create an environmentally sustainable restaurant industry, calling attention to the fact that this sector accounts for 4% of the U.S. gross domestic product. With a creative blend of consulting, education, marketing, research, and consumer organizing, the GRA helps restaurants and their customers understand the environmental challenges facing the restaurant industry, and empowers them with clear solutions to combat these environmental issues. See the GRA’s standards Americans spend forty-four percent of their food budget on food consumed away from home - $1,078 per person annually - dining at over 945,000 restaurants (1). Tapping into the consumer need and want to eat out offers a great opportunity to reduce the restaurant industry’s ecological footprint and affect change. The 1,500 scientists who signed the Call for Action at the Kyoto Summit summed it up: “There is only one responsible choice -- to act now.” |
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES a. Overpopulation & Industrializationb. Air Pollution and Ozone Depletion c. Water Pollution d. Deforestation e. Soil Degradation & Desertification f. Extinction & Loss of Biodiversity g. Climate Change DISPOSABLE PRODUCTS a. Paper b. Plastics c. Polystyrene Foam (aka Styrofoam) CHEMICALS a. Cleaning Products b. Linen Service c. Pest Management d. Candles & Chafing Fuel FOOD AND BEVERAGE a. Organic Food b. Local Food c. Vegetarian & Vegan Food d. Fish and Seafood e. Genetically-Modified Food ENERGY WATER BUILDING WASTE a. Waste Reduction b. Recycling c. Composting |