So, how many were able to watch Brokaw's show on global warming? It will be on the Discovery Channel again this weekend sometime I think. Two hours and quite well done I thought.
Anyway at the end he and the expert were talking about simple ways people could reduce their "carbon footprints," like using long-lasting fluorescent bulbs (the comment made was that if every household in American switched just one light bulb to the fluorescent ones, that would be the equivalent of taking 1 million cars off the roads)....
I couldn't help but think, "Wow, and think how much energy would be conserved, and carbon output reduced, if there were adequate support of breastfeeding in our culture - if it were a place where 90%+ of mothers were breastfeeding." Moms producing their own milk, on-site, with far less transportation and modification involved than ffing. Even assuming that every breastfeeding mother was going to buy and use a dual electric pump -- which isn't the case and wouldn't be the case -- still, so much energy would be saved, and babies would be growing up healthier (and moms too) as an added bonus! I mean, bf moms don't really need a "lot" of gear - breast(s) [free], bras if they wear those (would have needed those regardless
), breast pads (maybe), breast ointment (maybe), a couple books, and most importantly, support from their families, their medical providers, society, and if they WOHM, their employers .... Few of those items would require a lot of transportation/manufacturing, KWIM?
It's not a new thought to me (or probably to anyone else here either) - but what a small and simple thing on so many levels, and it could have such a large impact. Far beyond health of mom/health of baby and into the realm of environmental health.
Anyway at the end he and the expert were talking about simple ways people could reduce their "carbon footprints," like using long-lasting fluorescent bulbs (the comment made was that if every household in American switched just one light bulb to the fluorescent ones, that would be the equivalent of taking 1 million cars off the roads)....
I couldn't help but think, "Wow, and think how much energy would be conserved, and carbon output reduced, if there were adequate support of breastfeeding in our culture - if it were a place where 90%+ of mothers were breastfeeding." Moms producing their own milk, on-site, with far less transportation and modification involved than ffing. Even assuming that every breastfeeding mother was going to buy and use a dual electric pump -- which isn't the case and wouldn't be the case -- still, so much energy would be saved, and babies would be growing up healthier (and moms too) as an added bonus! I mean, bf moms don't really need a "lot" of gear - breast(s) [free], bras if they wear those (would have needed those regardless
), breast pads (maybe), breast ointment (maybe), a couple books, and most importantly, support from their families, their medical providers, society, and if they WOHM, their employers .... Few of those items would require a lot of transportation/manufacturing, KWIM?It's not a new thought to me (or probably to anyone else here either) - but what a small and simple thing on so many levels, and it could have such a large impact. Far beyond health of mom/health of baby and into the realm of environmental health.
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