Restaurants in California are banding together to fight climate change in an intriguing way. Concerned eateries can sign on to the Restore California Renewable Restaurant program, which pledges to add a 1% surcharge to diners’ bills and then use the money to incentivize farmers to implement more carbon-friendly food production practices.
The payments would go to projects helping farmers and ranchers move away from conventional farming practices, such as monoculture crops, chemical fertilizers, leaving bare ground exposed, and heavy plowing, to renewable practices that include minimal soil disturbance, cover-cropping, crop rotation, adding compost, and planting perennial crops/trees. For every ton of carbon removed from the atmosphere, farmers receive $10. Apart from drawing down tons of greenhouse gases each year, these changes also have the added benefit of creating better, healthier, tastier food for diners to enjoy.
The surcharge is voluntary, which means that diners can opt out, but as more people look for ways to make a difference in the fight to protect the environment, it seems likely to catch on.
