Just buy local... or not...
One issue that's really caught my attention as I've begun my graduate studies is the local food movement. The idea here is that we should invest more in locally based economies--promoting more ethical relationships between people and the environment, and forming a base for sustainable economic development rather than the "race to the bottom" promoted by globalization/export based economies. In the food world, this has gotten somewhat silly at times, with challenges to "eat local" in which consumers limit themselves to food produced with x number of miles of their homes. I'm sorry, but I live in Minnesota. The idea of carrots and potatoes all winter doesn't quite appeal.
Still, this has been an idea I've been working through. Most recently, I enjoyed reading Deep Economy and its insistence that money buys happiness only to a point. Gibson-Graham also emphasize grassroots economies (though not exclusively local ones) built on community based assets.
But I was intrigued to run across this study today suggesting that local eating isn't as beneficial as proponents claim. Up to half of the greenhouse gas emissions in the food system, these researchers claim, comes in essence from cows--red meat and dairy. Becoming slightly more vegetarian results in huge savings in carbon output per household.
I haven't read this study yet, and I'm sure there's questions about how these outputs were measured. But still, this attacks one of the main arguments for local food. Interesting stuff.