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ARTICLE: "Some Carbon With Your Kiwi? The Environmental Cost of Shipping Groceries All Over the World," by Elisabeth Rosenthal, New York Times, 26 April 2008, p. B1.
Yes, there is some taking of coal to Newcastle, like bringing Fiji water to water-rich America. And sure, there is plenty of movement in response to cheap labor.
But here's the deal on climate change: global agricultural production patterns will be dramatically shifted, primarily in response to drought, meaning we're likely to move more food longer distances in the future, not less as a means of reducing a carbon footprint. Specialization of production will proceed apace, just like in any global industry.
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