Posted on Jan 22, 2023
Yeah, actually, your plastic coffee pod may not be great for the climate
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https://www.npr.org/2023/01/21/ [login to see] /yeah-actually-your-plastic-coffee-pod-may-not-be-great-for-the-planet
You may have come across news headlines about coffee this week, like this one from the BBC: "Coffee pod carbon footprint better for planet than filtered brew."
The stories are about a short article published earlier this month that says single-use coffee pods may be better for the climate than other forms of coffee preparation.
The coverage by social media and news outlets came as good news to lots of people who have single-use coffee makers, since they've heard for years that the disposable metal and plastic capsules in their machines harm the environment. Columnist Matthew Yglesias tweeted out: "Vindication".
The problem is, the positive take on coffee pods and the climate might not be true.
Despite the hype, it's hard to know how solid the conclusions are in the article that blew up online this week. That's in part because the article isn't a formal study that has been peer-reviewed, which means it hasn't been vetted yet by other experts in the field. The article's lead author, Luciano Rodrigues Viana, a doctoral student at the University of Quebec at Chicoutimi, said in an email to NPR that he hopes to release a peer-reviewed study soon.
You may have come across news headlines about coffee this week, like this one from the BBC: "Coffee pod carbon footprint better for planet than filtered brew."
The stories are about a short article published earlier this month that says single-use coffee pods may be better for the climate than other forms of coffee preparation.
The coverage by social media and news outlets came as good news to lots of people who have single-use coffee makers, since they've heard for years that the disposable metal and plastic capsules in their machines harm the environment. Columnist Matthew Yglesias tweeted out: "Vindication".
The problem is, the positive take on coffee pods and the climate might not be true.
Despite the hype, it's hard to know how solid the conclusions are in the article that blew up online this week. That's in part because the article isn't a formal study that has been peer-reviewed, which means it hasn't been vetted yet by other experts in the field. The article's lead author, Luciano Rodrigues Viana, a doctoral student at the University of Quebec at Chicoutimi, said in an email to NPR that he hopes to release a peer-reviewed study soon.
Yeah, actually, your plastic coffee pod may not be great for the climate
Posted from npr.org
Food/Chow
Recycling
Society
Waste
Water
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 2
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."When it comes to emissions, media scholars say keep your eye on the ball
Ultimately, climate media scholars worry that too much attention over individual actions like using coffee pods can distract us from climate solutions that can have a greater impact, like regulating the wider plastic or fossil fuel industries, says Jill Hopke, associate professor of journalism at DePaul University.
"And we can just get so mired up in this kind of accounting, right?" Hopke says. "Losing the bigger picture of what kind of societal changes do we need to make."
Boykoff, whose research has looked at the impact of media on climate action, says in the grand scheme of individual actions we can take on climate, reducing coffee intake isn't at the top of his list.
"Would my environmental impact be greater if I stopped eating meat today or if I stopped drinking coffee?" he asks. "I think the answer is clearly whether one chooses to eat meat or not."
..."When it comes to emissions, media scholars say keep your eye on the ball
Ultimately, climate media scholars worry that too much attention over individual actions like using coffee pods can distract us from climate solutions that can have a greater impact, like regulating the wider plastic or fossil fuel industries, says Jill Hopke, associate professor of journalism at DePaul University.
"And we can just get so mired up in this kind of accounting, right?" Hopke says. "Losing the bigger picture of what kind of societal changes do we need to make."
Boykoff, whose research has looked at the impact of media on climate action, says in the grand scheme of individual actions we can take on climate, reducing coffee intake isn't at the top of his list.
"Would my environmental impact be greater if I stopped eating meat today or if I stopped drinking coffee?" he asks. "I think the answer is clearly whether one chooses to eat meat or not."
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This is very bizarre...we don't use a lot of pods but empty they are great for starting seeds...
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