She isn't the only one who's frustrated. The Tesco supermarket chain in England wants to affix a carbon score to each item on its shelves but has been bogged down in the complexity of the task.
The U.S. Congress in 2002 took a step toward unmasking food supply lines by passing a law requiring meat and produce to carry a label revealing the country of origin. But under pressure from food suppliers and grocery chains, legislators have repeatedly postponed the law's implementation for all but seafood.
That leaves supermarket shoppers staring at well-stocked shelves from around the globe without any sure way to tell where the food is from.
Bon Appetit has brought together a group of scientists to help consumers sort through the thicket with an online carbon calculator at www.EatLowCarbon.org.
Later in the week, York is off to Redlands to train the Bon Appetit managers from various university campuses about today's national rollout of Low Carbon Diet day. The University of Redlands cafe is the test case. A poster invites students: "You've changed your light bulbs, now change your lunch. Find out how food choices affect climate change."
On this day, bananas have been replaced by local strawberries. Next to slices of cheese and pepperoni pizza were "cheese-less" options, a slice of double tomato, another with pesto and chicken. And then there was the grill station, missing its most popular item: all-beef burgers.
"The kids, they love their burgers," said Luis Delgado, a gregarious and popular grill cook who spent much of lunchtime dishing out disappointment. "I tell them they'll get them tonight."
Kaethe Selkirk, a freshman studying art history, and her boyfriend, Billy Kingsborough, settled for turkey burgers. But neither seemed willing to cut out their regular off-campus trips to munch on Double-Doubles at In-N-Out Burger.
"No one is going to admit that they don't care," she said. "It's not socially acceptable to not be for saving the planet."
How about reducing waste?
Rachel Rocklin, a petite senior with silver toenail polish, plopped down her tray on a conveyor belt, leaving a half-eaten turkey burger and half a bowl of broccoli soup.
She walked past the sign that explained that the university's food program produces 15 tons of waste each week. "The natural tendency is to fill up your tray. However, is that the right amount of food for you or the planet?"
She stopped, took it in and nodded.
