‘Limiting’ your coffee intake will help fight climate change: Study
Heather Hunter
Video Embed
Canadian researchers studied the “carbon footprint of coffee” and published their findings on how to moderate consumption that contributes to climate change.
The University of Quebec at Chicoutimi study, published in the publication The Conversation, called for limiting consumption through an “adapted diet” in order to combat the effects of coffee preparation.
“Limiting your contribution to climate change requires an adapted diet, and coffee is no exception. Choosing a mode of coffee preparation that emits less GHGs (greenhouse gases) and moderating your consumption are part of the solution,” the four researchers wrote.
K-CUP REBATE: TWO DAYS LEFT FOR KEURIG CUSTOMERS TO CLAIM MONEY FROM $10M SETTLEMENT
The researchers found that traditional filter coffee had the highest carbon footprint, while coffee pods had less of an environmental impact because the process of traditional filter coffee “consumes more electricity to heat the water and keep it warm.”
The study noted that coffee users should avoid using hot water when rinsing their coffee cups to reduce “carbon-intensive electricity production.”
Overall, the researchers called coffee production the most harmful emitting process, more than any type of coffee preparation.
“The coffee plant is a small stunted tree or shrub that was traditionally grown in the shade of the forest canopy. The modernization of the sector led to the transformation of many coffee plantations into vast fields that were fully exposed to the sun. This added the need for intensive irrigation, fertilization systems and the use of pesticides,” the researchers explained.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
They said coffee’s greatest carbon footprint comes from the “mechanization, irrigation and use of nitrous oxide-emitting fertilizers — the production of which requires large quantities of natural gas.”
Despite the environmental effects, numerous recent studies have found that up to three cups of coffee a day could reduce the risk of death from heart disease and stroke.