Sat, 09/04/2010 – 3:52pm

There’s been an interesting debate lately on whether eating locally saves energy, or contributes to greater energy use. Tom Philpott of Grist offers a more in-depth analysis than any I’ve seen so far:

• People flocking to “food service establishments” in lieu of cooking and eating at home — and burning more and more energy in the process
• Greater use of “energy-intensive technologies” explains the bulk of growth in the food system’s energy demand
• Even as overall U.S. energy use levels off, the food system’s energy appetite is growing steadily

And then there are the many “priceless” things about eating locally, as elucidated by our friend Ken Meter, an economist who specializes in quantifying the benefits of local food economies. Read more here.