CleanMetrics releases food impact calculator
By Christina Williams
Editor, Sustainable Business Oregon
Anyone can now get an idea about the carbon impacts of their diet, thanks to a new carbon calculator designed and made freely available by CleanMetrics Corp. of Washington County.
The Food Carbon Emissions Calculator taps into Clean Metrics' huge store of data about the most commonly consumed foods and gives consumers an idea of the carbon emissions tied up in their food choices.
CleanMetrics, a technology and consulting firm focused on analyzing the impacts of products -- a discipline known as lifecycle analysis, spent a week pulling together the online tool, which was released last week.
"We wanted to offer this to consumers, provide them good-quality data," said Kumar Venkat, CleanMetrics' president. "We've been thinking for a while about what free services we could provide for the community."
As the blog TreeHugger pointed out, the calculator is limited to North American-sourced foods, but it does a good job of giving an example of food impacts.
CleanMetrics' clients range from nonprofit organizations such as the Environmental Working Group, schools such as Portland State University and businesses, including Oregon examples Organically Grown and New Seasons.
Venkat said he expects to add more features and new calculators in the future as a way of giving back the community.
"For me it's not about how much you can measure, it's about how much you can reduce the impact," Venkat said.
christinawilliams@bizjournals.com | 503.219.3438
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