Food Waste Is the World's Dumbest Problem
Videos
Grades6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12Biology
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Provided by Vox
What it is
- This video explains the problem of food waste and offers several solutions to this huge climate problem.
- It shows the power of MIT Media Lab's food cam, a camera that is mounted in the break room at the MIT Media Lab to alert everybody in the building whenever there is leftover food, UC Santa Barbara's effective yet simple food program updates, and an app that takes excess food right from the source to the shelters and pantries that support people who need it.
Teaching tips
Positives
- Employees from around the building come to eat the food from the food cam, and food waste has dropped significantly because of this invention!
- Students will be able to see many simple yet effective solutions.
Prerequisites
- You may have to watch an ad before and during this video.
- Students should have a basic understanding of climate change.
Differentiation & Implementation
- This video can be used in homeroom, advisory, or one of those other "in-between" times to teach your students about food waste.
- One of the best things you can do to reduce food waste in your school is to eliminate dining hall trays from your cafeteria. The video explains that removing food trays from the cafeteria reduced food waste by 50% at UC Santa Barbara. Students can propose a similar project in their own cafeterias to reduce food waste.
- Your students can explore Project Drawdown's Table of Solutions to find out that reducing food waste is an extremely simple and effective way to reduce emissions.
- Students can also watch a similar video on food waste.
From the scientist review
Food waste is a global environmental problem. Efforts to reduce food waste could present a win-win solution by reducing our carbon footprint and also combating global hunger. This resource is recommended for teaching.
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