There is something going on with the global climate crisis. It’s getting worse.

The factors driving this crisis include pollution, waste, transportation, industrialization and even the food from Gourmet Dining catering here at FDU Metro.

Most students who have dined at the two cafeterias run by Gourmet Dining — the SUB Cafeteria and Riverside Cafe — focus their attention on the food quality and what’s being offered daily. (The Dickinson Cafe offers Starbucks selections.)

Students say that more of the university’s money should be invested into getting better quality food. Unfortunately, they don’t think about how it’s made and where it comes from.

Gourmet Dining has been trying to shift away from factory produce and rely more on local farms for the past several years. The company has posted flyers around the cafeterias about its efforts.

Even though this is a good step toward healthier meals, the climate crisis problem remains unresolved. This is because our food still has to be transported in trucks all the way to FDU, and trucks cause a lot of pollution.

According to the Carbon Footprint Factsheet, via the Center for Sustainable Systems, household food consumption in the U.S. emits 8.1 metric tons of CO2e annually, food accounts for 83% of emissions and its transportation tallies up to 11%.

Photo by Anthony Covino

Nicola Smith and Sebastian Villicana have dinner in the SUB cafeteria.