food
i heard that the average mouthful of the american meal traveled some 1500 miles to get there. sounds like a long way. so i paid attention to what was on my plate. most fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat was local. or at least could be. the wine was from australia. which immediately makes me think that median distance would be a superior metric. at least less sensational. anywho, my meals are far from the typical american's fast food fare. i can easily believe that mickey d's buys its animal products from the cheapest part of the country. ships it to be processed at the cheapest place. then ships it to regional distribution centers. then ships it around a few more times before it ends up in your car. where it drives a few more miles before actually being consumed. so yeah. maybe 1500 average is not that unreasonable. $4/gallon diesel fuel might, just might, impact that way of life.