Discussions
Greening the Fast Food Industry
Posted by timethief • 7/10/09 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: environment, fast-food-industry, kentucky fried chicken, l-e-e-d certification, long -john- silver's, mcdonalds, pizza hut, restaurants, taco bell
- Excerpts:
"America is the 9th fattest country in the world. Movies like Supersize Me and Fast Food Nation have done a great job in highlighting the contribution of the fast food industry to our obesity epidemic. Eating fast food and being obese is, literally, unsustainable for human beings. ...
The weird thing is that fast food restaurants are also starting to "go green." A Kentucky Fried Chicken/Taco Bell restaurant in Louisville Kentucky (the 7th fattest state in America) just got LEED certification. The restaurant is naturally lit, and it harvests rainwater for irrigation. The frame of the building is made from sustainably-harvested wood. Yum! Brands, Inc., the parent company of KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and Long John Silver’s is the largest real estate developer in the world. It owns 36,000 restaurants internationally. One down and 35,999 to go!"
Read the full article here www.enn.com/top_stories/article/40185
Discussion questions:
(1) Have you been noticing any "green" changes in the fast food industry outlets where you live?
(2) Whether or not you are seeing these changes happen where you reside, are you supportive of such changes such as those required for LEED certification being made?
(3) When you vote do you choose to vote for candidates that are supportive of "greening the fast food industry"?
User Comments
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McDonald's is actually outpacing most of the fast food industry in redesigning their restaurants to be more "green." A friend of mine works in McDonald's corporate headquarters as an architect and McDonald's is undergoing a massive national redesign right now of their prototype.
They're rebranding themselves with new "green" interiors and structures. Also, McDonald's is pushing a more upscale image in large cities like NYC by hiring European designers to make McDonald's into posh, boutique restaurant interiors.
It's really cool.
Also, I am a LEED AP. IMO, all buildings should be green certified as that is the only way to make sustainable practices more affordable. The more widespread the practices are, the more manufacturers will start producing green building materials and lower the cost. -
What they need to do, is stop worrying about how their restaurants look and start looking at how poorly made their food is and how it's making people fatter every day.
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@blackwater
- I think that both aspects are of critical importance. If we intend to leave a decent environmental and health legacy behind for upcoming generations, then I believe we must act on both fronts and that the time to act is now.
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Timethief--I really cannot answer this discussion question (although it is a good one) because I literally *never* eat fast food. The last time I ate at McDonalds was when I was touring with the New Shakespeare company--years and years ago. I ate so much fast food as a poor starving actor that I literally get nauseous at the thought of it.
I don't watch much television, other than public television, discovery and a very few others so I really don't even know how they are advertising on TV. I know most are offering healthier food choices, which is good--but I simply LOATHE the entire concept of 'fast food.'-
- I don't eat fast food either but I still get involved in advocating for LEED across the board from government buildings, schools, etc. to fast food outlets. I only vote for the kind of tenacious candidates that will never give up the battle to preserve and protect the environment.
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(1) Have you been noticing any "green" changes in the fast food industry outlets where you live?
No.
(2) Whether or not you are seeing these changes happen where you reside, are you supportive of such changes such as those required for LEED certification being made?
I would rather they didn't exist in the first place, but yes.
(3) When you vote do you choose to vote for candidates that are supportive of "greening the fast food industry"?
I vote for the ones that are going to push them to the margins as well as force them to be green. -
MCDonald's go vegan. End of story.-
- In a way the greening of McDonald's is the beginning of story. The others that followed and/or will be following suit are Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell. And as states, towns and cities change their building code requirements to include LEED certification this will also affect franchise restaurants that don't fall into the fast food" category.
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I wonder how much carbon tax there will be for Whoppers. o_0 -
The "green" of this story actually refers to sustainable building practices as LEED is a certification standard created by the US Green Building Council.
It actually has no impact or commentary on the quality of food.
You can build a green building and still serve non-organic, processed foods. LEED doesn't regulate that.-
I probably should have read the article. Oops!
I'm kind of juggling a lot of things today. -
LEED certification is touching all commercial building and right now, the USGBC is working on the creation of a LEED certification for residential building.
LEED basically asks owners, tenants, architects, engineers, and developers to utilize non-toxic, non-polluting, energy saving, water conserving, and sustainable building materials such as FSC certified wood and recycled materials.
In a LEED building, things like disposable paper towels are removed and a low energy, hand dryer is installed. All water using appliances as well as faucets, toilets, hoses, irrigation, showers must reduce water consumption by at least 30%. You have to reduce overall energy consumption by 40%. And, you need to do something to reduce the heat signature a building creates: like having a green roof or open paving instead of blacktop parking.
Also, recycling is a requirement for any LEED building. Fast food places becoming LEED certified will also mean there will be a lot of recycling happening.
Even if you don't eat fast food, green building practices are GOOD, GOOD, GOOD. -
I am my mother's daughter (and she is the biggest environmentalist I have ever seen--and has been one since the 60's). I am all for GREEN and of couse, support any industry's efforts to go green; however, that said, the fast food industry still sucks.
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I get a little excited when a subject that is right in my field of professional knowledge comes up.
I want everyone to get on board with sustainable building practices. It isn't just better for the environment, it's better for you too. Less indoor air pollution leads to healthier lungs. More sunshine, means lower electricity bills. More recycling means less dependence on foreign oil. -
You're preaching to the choir, still!
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- First LEED-Certified McDonalds
"The McDonald’s features large windows that allow daylight to reach 75 percent of the interior of the restaurant, reducing lighting costs. The restaurant also boasts bike racks, preferred parking for hybrid vehicles, porous pavement and a white roof." The store is located in the LEED-certified Abercorn Common retail development in Savannah, Ga.
The Common features "a cistern that harvests rainwater for irrigation; waterless urinals; energy efficient heating and air-conditioning systems (30% more energy-efficient than a typical center); and a white roof coating to reflect heat."
www.treehugger.com/files/2007/04/first_leedcerti.php
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I have yet to notice any greening of the fast food industry here in VA, but I've noticed more and more nutritional labels on things and I thought that was a good idea.-
- Food labeling is a good thing, however, do be aware that the labeling in the USA is nowhere near being as stringent as it is in Canada and in the EU countries.
Sign up for the No GMO Challenge, a 30-day challenge to avoid all GM foods. www.responsibletechnology.org/GMFree/Home/index.cfm
Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology
www.organicconsumers.org/gelink.cfm
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I wish the fastfood industry a green and painful death.-
- You certainly aren't alone. But rather than "throwing the baby out with the bath water" I'd like to see the building end of things for these franchises be required to meet LEED certification standards and the meat and all food stuffs they use use to be organically produced.
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I think fast food places should adopt a policy of offering garden burgers to replace cow meat. -
I don't think anyone read the article. The question is about green building practices, not whether or not you eat fast food.
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What about purple building? I like purple, Grimmace is purple. It's a win-win situation.
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I read it, but haven't seen any building changes here. The only change I've seen in the fast food industry is the adding of nutritional labels to the food.
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Our refrigerator is greening.
Maybe it's time to dispose of that old bread and cheese.-
If you leave it in there long enough, I bet you can make antibiotic from it.
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I'm not Fleming reincarnated.
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mmnnn good! Green eggs and gub'ment cheese!
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I remember once we got gub'ment butter and that thing sat in our freezer (mom was a little weird) for about a year before I finally tossed it out.
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Believe me, I've had some gub'ment cheese AND buttah in my day. Thank god those days are ovah! (she said with a Bahstan accent).
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That thing was a 2lb brick of butter. I had never seen anything like it before and haven't since. It was solid (not in convenient sticks) and gigantic.
Also, due to the enormous size, totally useless for a family used to country crock.
Of course, I could have tried making those Paula Deen Deep Fried Butter Balls. -
Paula Deen rocks! Believe me, the gub'ment cheese is exactly the same a the buttah. Ridiculous--although I admit to being so hungry at times that I actually ate it. Now I feel nauseous.
(but we are all bad for hijacking TT's thread! shame on us!). -
Hey, I tried to stay on topic! It's Friday's fault.
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Sorry, I'm still trying to assimilate the whole gub'ment cheese/butter thing.
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You may possibly be too young to remember gub'ment cheese and butter. Now, food stamps are actually a food debit card.
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LOL@Friday. You crack me up.
If you move to the U.S., the government will give you HUGE bricks of cheese and buttah if you are hungry.
It will fill you in the short term--but I am still wondering what the long term effects might be. I'm waiting to see if I grow flippers or something for all the weird gub'ment stuff I ate.
@still--there is STILL the cheese and butter. I was on food stamps and also got the government food. I'm pretty sure it still exists. -
Of course the cheese is actually a glow in the dark orange brick of processed cheese food.
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The government here gives vegetables and some other things, but never cheese or butter!
Flippers might be useful, for when the ice caps melt and we're all in Waterworld. -
"If you leave it in there long enough, I bet you can make antibiotic from it."
or blotter acid
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i see it happening here. that's why we have the 'green revolution' project in schools -
- I am reading all these comments when I can. However, I'm working at two online jobs right now, and I'm backlogged when it comes to blogging due to the hack job that was done on my web hosts' servers. More here www.blogcatalog.com/discuss/entry/has-your-blog-ever-been-hacked#comment_10...
I promise to respond to your comments when I can.
As stillthinking has pointed out above this thread is about the environmental end (LEED), it's not about the food end. However, there are posts in the political forum on that aspect if you would care to enter the discussions there. Or you can even post a thread on the subject.
Monsanto Loses Again
www.blogcatalog.com/politics/discuss/entry/monsanto-loses-again-ge-alfalfa-...
Food documentary attacks industrial food corporations
www.blogcatalog.com/politics/discuss/entry/food-documentary-attacks-industr... /ul>-
It sounds like a whole lot of MNCs are getting alot of flak for alot of stuff lately, not that I ever have any sympathy for them but it has been appearing in contemporary media.
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The only thing green about McDonalds I have seen was the burger I bought from them about 2yrs ago.-
Again, it's about building practices not the food. *rolls eyes* Any corporation deciding to embrace sustainable building is a positive thing.
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I know, I know. On a serious note, I haven't noticed anything green going on for now or maybe I haven't been looking out. It sounds like a great idea.
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Have you noticed the new Mcdonald's design?
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- Thanks for posting the image.
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It kills me to have to write this as I believe that Walmart is one of the most evil corporations in the world, but Walmart is also a leader in utilizing green technologies in their new stores. Being such a huge presence in retail, this will have a big impact in the availability of sustainable building materials. Unfortunately, for all the greening of their stores, they're still one of the greatest forces destroying independent retailers and encouraging mass overconsumption of cheaply made goods.
I think the best way to describe walmart is if The Death Star had solar panels and recycling. It's still a destroyer of planets, but with solar energy.
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