The carbon costs of coffee

03 Jul 2010 12:23p.m.

Fabian wrote:

I think you made a mistake.
Kaitaia to Invercargill is 1928km
If you use one of the internet carbon calculators and slot in a car like a petrol Ford Mondeo you will get a result of 0.4 tonnes of carbon emissions produced over the journey, which is over 1000 times more than your cup of coffee at 340gms

25 Jun 2010 11:23p.m.

V wrote:

If you think this article is unique I tell you its all part of some Asinine plan. The US EPA want to regulate MILK because its got Global Warming causing animal OIL in it!.

25 Jun 2010 06:44p.m.

V wrote:

I knew all the time, those LATTE drinking jaffa's where causing the Global Warming while discussing how to rid the world of 75% of the population.

25 Jun 2010 01:18p.m.

David wrote:

Hopefully it was meant to be a bit tounge in cheek. In any case the comment from Brux is an excellent argument against ETS and carbon credits, even if Brux did not know that. Menwhile back in the cafe, time for another shot ... make that a flat white.

24 Jun 2010 08:52p.m.

Lynda wrote:

This was, without a doubt, the most stupid non-news report I have seen in a very long time. Picking on milk? I don't have the words to describe the nonsense in this. Please, can we not pick on something really serious before we attack milk?

24 Jun 2010 02:44p.m.

Luke wrote:

Your article on drinking less coffee because of cows farting was insane. Cows fart like any other living being. Should we kill more cows so we have less natual gas in the world. Less cows means less meat available so meat prices goes up as a result, then we have to import more on planes and ships becuase we cant supply enough because we killed all our cows. Are we to also believe we should have less cows to produce less milk so the cost of all dairy goes through the roof? Are kids now supposed to substitute the milk on their weetbix with black coffee to save the enviromment? are the elderly to restrict their calcium intake? Look, cows fart as a natual process. Man made carbon footprints like flying planes is whats causing the problem. I wont be switching to black coffee anytime soon. A good story but very onesided.

23 Jun 2010 11:21p.m.

Brux Antipodeus wrote:

This is arrant nonsense written by somebody who is possesed of no scientific knowledge and who has not bothered to spend even one second thinking about the subject.

Consider these carbon costs:- the petrol used by the car the workers used to get to the coffee tree farm, the tractor used to haul the beans off the farm, the diesel used by the truck that carted the beans to the port and the forklift used at each end. Then there is the cost of the lighting in the warehouse where the sacks are stored and the lighting used by the warehouse workers at their homes. After these costs there is the loading and shipping and unloading and processing and packaging and storing and carting and advertising - each with all their attendant workers who light and heat their homes by burning evil carbon.

After all these costs we then have to boil the water for the coffee and then wash the cup and spoon in heated water and recycle the milk bottle even before we consider the cost of manufacturing the plastic bottle and transporting it to the milk treatment station thence to the supermarket which is lit night and day by carbon.

My guess is that the carbon cost of a cup of coffee is probably close to a tonne per cup and 1.1 tonne per cup with a little milk added.

The only solution is to stop drinking coffee, smoking cigarettes, watching TV and visiting the supermarket, because the carbon released by all these activities is killing us.

23 Jun 2010 08:48p.m.

Steve wrote:

I just checked my foot print. It's a size 10. Is that going to make a big impact?

Give me a break! All this 'tree hugger' stuff is getting just too much!