Comparing Carbon Dioxide Emissions of Food Distribution in Eau Claire WisconsinWILL ULLRICH

GEOGRAPHY 401

APRIL 14TH, 2015

Introduction

What is Geography?

How is it a Science?

Project Goal

Exploring relationship between distance traveled and Carbon Dioxide released.

Focusing only on food distributors

Geographic Traditions

Human-Environmental

Regional

Spatial

Geographic Concepts

Agriculture

Infrastructure

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Methods

Locations: Just Local Foods

Mega Co-Op

Wal-Mart

Festival Foods

Gordy’s County Market

Food Items: Milk

Cheese

Bread

Eggs

Meat

C02 Analysis According to a 2014 Vehicle Technologies report:

The range of miles per gallon (mpg) for most mass transport vehicles is 4 to 7.5.

The average is 6.5 mpg per thousand ton-mile

According to fueleconomy.gov burning One gallon, which weighs 6.3 pounds, produces 20 pounds of C02.

To find the C02 produced for each brand we will take: (Distance/6.5)x20= number of pounds produced

Milk Analysis:Milk: Just Local Mega Wal-Mart

Festival Foods

Gordy’s County Market

Distance from Eau Claire (Miles)

Pounds of C02 Produced

Crystal Ball Farms

X         89.13 274.25

Mega Co-Op

  X       0 0

Kemps   X X X   82.67 254.37Great Value

    X     1630.04 5015.51

Land O’ Lakes

    X   X 998.2 3071.38

TruMoo     X X X 998.2 3071.38Nestle     X     1981.11 6095.72Organic Valley

    X X   117.42 361.29

Horizon Organic

    X     974.33 2997.94

Wild Harvest

      X   105.15 323.54

Castle Rock

      X   24.36 74.95

Morning Glory

      X   197.18 606.71

Festival       X   105.15 323.54Dean’s       X   305.89 941.2Fa!rlife       X   317.15 975.85Lactaid       X   1307.56 4023.26Dairy Fresh

        X 305.89 941.2

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Wild

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Cast

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Mor

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Fest

ival

Dean’

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sh0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

Distributor Distance from Eau Claire

Name of Brand

Dis

tance

Fro

m E

au C

lair

e

Crys

tal B

all F

arm

s

Meg

a Co

-Op

Kem

ps

Great

Value

Land

O’ L

akes

TruM

oo

Nestle

Organ

ic V

alley

Horizo

n Org

anic

Wild

Har

vest

Cast

le R

ock

Mor

ning

Glory

Fest

ival

Dean’

s

Fa!rlife

Lact

aid

Dairy

Fre

sh

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

C02 Emissions based on Distance from Distributor

Name of Brand

Pounds

of

C02 P

roduce

d

Milk Conclusion It is obvious that the closer a distributor is to the city the less C02

will be produced. Looking at the graphs we see this: Mega Co-Op brand milk was the lowest producer of C02 due to the

fact that it is sold from its point of distribution.

Nestle was by far the highest producer as it is distributed from Glendale, California.

Future Research

Producer to distributor distance data

Product load per delivery

Compare to alternative forms of transportation

Sources Malaczynski, Joanna D., and Timothy. P. Duane. 2009. Reducing

Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Vehicle Miles Traveled: Integrating the California Environmental Quality Act with California Global Warming Solutions Act. Ecology Law Quarterly. 36: 71.

Vogt, Rainbow A., and Lucia L. Kaiser. 2008. Still a time to act: A review of institutional marketing of regionally grown food. Agriculture & Human Values. 25: 241-255.