Debate topics for Climate Change Side A: Climate change is a natural process and is not happening any faster

than usual. Our food choices dont directly affect it. Point: it is not affected by humans to a great degree Our activities, collectively, are not as po erful as that of natures The energy of one hurricane is more in one hour than all of the energy ever used by mankind, from the first fires to all of our nuclear bombs, all the oil and coal etc. - all combined !e need to feed ourselves" Arent #$ seeds high%yield& Sure, Organic and local is great, but how can we sustain that? Small-scale farming? Were talking a world with billion !eo!le" #esearch$ %reen revolution, genetically modified seeds, And hy is organic so e'pensive any ays& !ho can afford it& #esearch& Subsidies to oil com!anies and large agricultural businesses. (mporting cash crops must be good. 'ow else are !eo!le in other countries going to make money? #esearch& free trade, labour laws, workers co-o!s vs. reality of life in a (banana re!ublic. !ouldnt it be nice to have armer summers& #esearch& how !redictable are weather !atterns? Will we necessarily have warmer summers, or )ust cra*y hectic weather? And ith all that e'tra Co) in the air, thin* of the e'tra photosynthesis #esearch& 'ow will cro!s react to e+tra ghgs? ,lants? Trees? Think of some more !oints you are interested in learning about. -e sure you can back them u!.

Side +: Climate change is a fact, and it is a fact that e, as individuals, can speed it up or help slo it do n, by our individual choices ,he food industry contributes )-. of ghgs in the /SA" ,hats a huge number (ndustrial farming, as it stands, is not sustainable. Small%scale, organic farms offer a solution #esearch& !hiloso!hy of organics, !ermaculture. .losing the system and minimi*ing waste. 0o does buying local support our local economy and environment& /o big chain stores and agribusinesses care about our towns? 0s it im!ortant to you to know whats in your food and where it comes from? #esearch& -ioregionalism, co-o!eratives, grassroots organi*ing, local artisans and farmers !hy are imported foods so cheap& #esearch& banana re!ublics, how much money goes to farmer 0o far does the average piece of food travel to get to us and ho many greenhouse gases is it responsible for emitting& #esearch& greenhouse gas emissions counters& 0o safe, necessary and ell%tested are pesticides& /o you think )ust because theyre not allowed in .anada means theyre not allowed in develo!ing countries? #esearch& the (dirty do*en !esticides, carcinogens !hats the story ith factory farms& #esearch& www.themeatri+.com, how much land does it take to feed a cow rather than to directly feed a !erson. Does composting really or*& !hat about recycling& 1re there local !eo!le and organi*ations in our area you can talk to about these issues? Climate change is right in front of our eyes and getting scarier by the day" 2loods, hurricanes, melting ice-ca!s& its not hard to find e+am!les of climate change disasters"