Although the epic outdoor grilling of the 4th of July has come and gone, it’s not too late to think about cleaning up your BBQ cooking technique. The Sierra Club has made it easy with a series of articles on green, eco-friendly grilling.
First, you should definitely check out their list of resources for a low environmental impact barbeque. They have a long list of eco-friendly products for your BBQ including charcoal, plates, etc.
Next, their article “Get Your Grill On” features some great tips, including the idea of trading your grill in for a solar oven. Gasp! For purist, this may be blasphemy, but I’ll bet a steak cooked on a solar oven is still pretty tasty.
Finally, the Sierra Club’s article “P’s and Q’s of BBQ: A guide to guilt-free grilling” by Sidney Stevens includes these surprising facts:
Nationwide, the estimated 60 million barbecues held on the Fourth of July alone consume enough energy — in the form of charcoal, lighter fluid, gas, and electricity — to power 20,000 households for a year. That one day of fun, food, and celebration, says Tristram West, a research scientist with the U.S. Department of Energy, burns the equivalent of 2,300 acres of forest and releases 225,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide. It also produces other air pollutants — including a few that might surprise you.
Take Houston, Texas, where ‘cuing is practically a way of life. Researchers at Rice University have found that fatty acids in the meat smoke wafting up from the city’s grills (including those at restaurants) contribute a small but significant amount of lung-harming particles to Houston’s already hazy skies. “Emissions from barbecuing are certainly dwarfed by those from transportation and industrial burning of fuels,” notes West. “But this information should get people thinking about all the things they do on a regular basis.”
Making some basic changes in your grilling technique can make a big difference in things like air quality. Charcoal produces higher quantities of things like carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and soot than other grilling techniques. However, propane and other kinds of grill still consume our natural resources. If your going to use charcoal, consider “lump charcoal” which comes from real trees and is minimally processed. Lump charcoal harvested from invasive tree species and certified by the Rainforest Alliance’s SmartWood program are best.
All, trade in that smelly starter fluid for a chimney style charcoal starter.
Have other tips you’d like to share? Leave a comment!
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