Despite the joys of grilling, you may still be wondering what effects your outdoor grilling may be having on the environment. Just grilling occasionally on your own does not have a huge effect, but multiply your own grilling by the estimated 60 million barbecues on the Fourth of July, and you can see how all of these fired up grills can have an effect. Using the Fourth of July example, Sierra Club has estimated that those 60 million barbecues "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...burns the equivalent of 2,300 acres of forest and releases 225,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide." Also, grilling with charcoal releases carbon monoxide, particulates and soot; and the use of lighter fluid "contribute more to ground-level ozone, which is produced when nitrogen
oxides and volatile organic chemicals [VOCs] combine in hot weather
conditions."
So what can you do to green up your barbecue? Well, you may be a grilling purist, but you may want to consider trading out your charcoal grill for a cleaner-burning propane or electric grill. You could also invest in a solar stove, which uses the sun's rays as a source of fuel, though it will take you much longer to cook your food, and it will not work on a cloudy day or at night.
If it sounds like sacrilege to you to give up your charcoal grill, then there are many ways to make your charcoal grill more environmentally-friendly:
- Keep your grill clean by using hot water and soap. That way, you'll produce less smoke and carcinogens.
- Use chemical-free charcoal or wood chips, such as natural lump charcoal or natural briquettes. Paul McRandle, deputy editor of National Geographic Green Guide recommends "to use use wood chip products that have been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, meaning the forests from which they are harvested are maintained in an environmentally sound way."
- Use an appropriate amount of charcoal---that is, if you're only going to cook one burger, don't light up a grill full of charcoal, stick with a much smaller amount.
- Use a "charcoal chimney" or a "chimney starter" instead of lighter fluid. This device is basically a canister that you fill with charcoal and then light a piece of newspaper beneath to warm up your charcoal faster than it would in your grill.
- Buy a well-made grill that you'll have forever. That way, you'll keep it out of a landfill that's probably littered with cheapo grills. Some grills have good warranties, so make sure to look for that too when purchasing.
- Choose a grill without a chemical non-stick finish. McRandle warns that these chemicals may be human carcinogens and that "They're not in the product when it arrives at your home, but they're used in the manufacturing process and wind up in waterways."
- Reduce your preheating time to five to ten minutes. Ted Reader, author of Napoleon's Everyday Gourmet Grilling says that "When people preheat for 20 or 30 minutes, it wastes fuel. And you're going to wear out your grill faster."
- Ash can be used as fertilizer, as long as you apply it properly and sparely.
You may also want to consider that your food choices can have an environmental impact as well. First of all, you will want to consider grilling local foods to help out local farmers and to reduce the wastefulness of transporting foods long distances by truck. Another good grilling practice would be to make kebabs because it will reduce the amount of meat you would typically use for steaks, and it will make you eat more vegetables---anyways, I think they're also a lot of fun to make!
Well, happy grilling and don't call me late for dinner!
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