5 ms·

Probably, this may be the biggest argument for telecommuting. Less driving > less greenhouse emissions. There was also a huge hit to the produce and livestock

by primis 6y ago

Probably, this may be the biggest argument for telecommuting. Less driving > less greenhouse emissions. There was also a huge hit to the produce and livestock industries as restaurants closed which may play a part as well

corty 6y ago
Question is if the effect will last or if the birth rate will start climbing due to COVID-19. Then it might have been good short-term but really bad long-term.
- toyg 6y ago
  >if the birth rate will start climbing due to COVID-19 Shifts in birth rates of developed countries are a drop in the ocean of global birth rates. "Developed" lives have a heavier ecological footprint, but it all pales in comparison to the shifts resulting from increased industrialisation of developing countries. Depressing demand for industrial goods and services (because of lockdown) is bound to have a much bigger impact than making a few kids more or less.
  - TAForObvReasons 6y ago
    World birth rate is dropping. Births per 1000 people: https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/WLD/world/birth-rate https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/WLD/world/birth-rate (less than half of the rate in 1950) Fertility rate: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.TFRT.IN https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.TFRT.IN (less than half the rate in 1960)
ansible 6y ago
With a lot of people losing their jobs, there is less economic activity in general. A lot of people have really cut back their spending.
api 6y ago
Restaurants are so wasteful. Huge amounts of food is thrown away both in the kitchen and in the form of uneaten plates. Just going from restaurants to home probably saves a decent amount of food.
- elric 6y ago
  It's very much not in a restaurant's interest to waste food in the kitchen. Ingredients are a significant part of their costs, so restaurants worth their salt (hah) are usually pretty good about this. And this is starting to be regulated in some places as well. Portion sizes on the other hand are entirely ridiculous. I often eat out with a tiny friend (in height and width). They tend to ask for smaller portions, but it's insane that many restaurants simply refuse to be amenable to that request. This means either I get fat eating their leftovers, or half a portion goes in the rubbish. Taking the leftovers home is rarely an option over here. I get that you probably can't serve half a chicken breast. But there seems to be no logical reason not to serve fewer fries, potatoes, pasta, whatever when a paying customer asks for it.
  - beervirus 6y ago
    Why isn’t it an option to take leftovers home? I do that all the time.
    - lnanek2 6y ago
      It isn't done in Europe. Some OSEA countries think it makes you look poor as well. I do it every outing here in the US, though! Our portion sizes are ridiculous.
      - tsimionescu 6y ago
        Here in Eastern Europe (Romania) it is definitely an option. I know both people who do and people who don't like to do it.
  - banana_giraffe 6y ago

by primis 6y ago

corty 6y ago

Question is if the effect will last or if the birth rate will start climbing due to COVID-19. Then it might have been good short-term but really bad long-term.

toyg 6y ago
>if the birth rate will start climbing due to COVID-19 Shifts in birth rates of developed countries are a drop in the ocean of global birth rates. "Developed" lives have a heavier ecological footprint, but it all pales in comparison to the shifts resulting from increased industrialisation of developing countries. Depressing demand for industrial goods and services (because of lockdown) is bound to have a much bigger impact than making a few kids more or less.
- TAForObvReasons 6y ago
  World birth rate is dropping. Births per 1000 people: https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/WLD/world/birth-rate https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/WLD/world/birth-rate (less than half of the rate in 1950) Fertility rate: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.TFRT.IN https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.TFRT.IN (less than half the rate in 1960)

ansible 6y ago

With a lot of people losing their jobs, there is less economic activity in general. A lot of people have really cut back their spending.

api 6y ago

Restaurants are so wasteful. Huge amounts of food is thrown away both in the kitchen and in the form of uneaten plates. Just going from restaurants to home probably saves a decent amount of food.

elric 6y ago
It's very much not in a restaurant's interest to waste food in the kitchen. Ingredients are a significant part of their costs, so restaurants worth their salt (hah) are usually pretty good about this. And this is starting to be regulated in some places as well. Portion sizes on the other hand are entirely ridiculous. I often eat out with a tiny friend (in height and width). They tend to ask for smaller portions, but it's insane that many restaurants simply refuse to be amenable to that request. This means either I get fat eating their leftovers, or half a portion goes in the rubbish. Taking the leftovers home is rarely an option over here. I get that you probably can't serve half a chicken breast. But there seems to be no logical reason not to serve fewer fries, potatoes, pasta, whatever when a paying customer asks for it.
- beervirus 6y ago
  Why isn’t it an option to take leftovers home? I do that all the time.
  - lnanek2 6y ago
    It isn't done in Europe. Some OSEA countries think it makes you look poor as well. I do it every outing here in the US, though! Our portion sizes are ridiculous.
    - tsimionescu 6y ago
      Here in Eastern Europe (Romania) it is definitely an option. I know both people who do and people who don't like to do it.
- banana_giraffe 6y ago