Sweden’s CO2 Labeling: Deceptive Advertising?

By Ryan Young.

A quick point to add to Fran Smith’s excellent post on Sweden’s experiment in labeling food and menus for their carbon footprints: don’t read too much into the labels.

The New York Times notes that “the emissions impact of, say, a carrot, can vary by a factor of 10, depending how and where it is grown.” With that much imprecision built in, if the labels change consumer behavior as much as supporters hope, it’s entirely possible that eco-concsious diets could result in more carbon emissions, not less. A classic case of leaping before you look.

This new religion is a piece of work. It comes complete with a deity (Gaia), clergy (activists), indulgences (carbon credits), and now, dietary restrictions.

TonyfromOz adds …..

Gee! I wonder what the label of a can of baked beans might say.

Ryan Young is a Journalism Fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, where he contributes posts on a variety of issues.

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