Boston’s NPR news station, WBUR, is offering to help readers navigate the world of sustainable eating in its new email-based series Cooked. The series is a self-paced educational course, delivered to readers through six newsletters over a three-week period.
WBUR’s Environmental Correspondent, Barbara Moran, created “Cooked” in collaboration with Tufts University. It looks at the complex and often daunting topic of climate change through the lens of individual consumer food choices.
“We’ve long heard from our newsletter subscribers that they wanted more environmental news in their inboxes,” Meagan McGinnes, Assistant Managing Editor of Newsletters at WBUR, tells Food Tank. “And when surveyed, it was overwhelmingly clear that our readers wanted guidance on how they could make a difference in the fight against climate change.”
Each newsletter tackles a separate environmentally linked food topic such as veganism, sustainable seafood, and buying local. McGinnes says they set out to answer questions like “Could a plastic bag of super-processed vegan cheese really have a lower environmental impact than a nice ball of fresh mozzarella from a local dairy?”
By addressing the climate crisis through food, the series confronts the topic with relatable scenarios that are within the subscriber’s control. “We hope readers will realize that while much action on climate change needs to come from larger corporations, there are still plenty of things that you, the individual, can do to make a difference — and frankly, to feel better about a dire and depressing situation,” says McGinnes.
WBUR hired graduate students from Tufts University to help sift through the data needed to answer their questions. “While the research didn’t meet academia levels (it wasn’t peer reviewed), the students did help us navigate … which local food options are better for the planet and what we should be paying the most attention to.”
The series strives to educate and enable readers in a judgment free manner. Every read provides relevant statistics, suggested action steps, and a central takeaway. But the reader is always given options on how and to what degree they might engage. This is shown in a section deemed The Snacktivist Challenge, which includes beginner through advanced actions for consideration. “We tried to make this fun and show that no matter where you are on your greening-up journey, there’s still something for you to learn,” explains McGinnes.
Cooked focuses on food systems in New England but the questions it addresses are relevant around the world. The climate crisis is something that affects everyone, and this series demonstrates that everyone can take part in addressing it. McGinnes tells Food Tank, “my goal is to show our readers that even if you make some of these changes a few times a week, it helps.”
Articles like the one you just read are made possible through the generosity of Food Tank members. Can we please count on you to be part of our growing movement? Become a member today by clicking here.
Photo courtesy of Gabriella Clare Marino, Unsplash
