Letter to the Editor: Will protectionism lead to preserved strawberries?

A recent letter to the editor of The London Free Press got me thinking:

If countries try to boost their economy by relying (for example) on home-grown workers to produce more home-grown materials, will I ever see pomegranates from India again?

Or strawberries from California in February?

Or dried figs on a string from wherever figs on a string come from?

The letter-writer said:

“How do you protect the environment without economic protectionism? The further you have to move a product and the more complexity in moving it, such as size and/or temperature - the more energy is required. The laws of physics demand something in return for using energy. Currently, that by-product is life threatening levels of carbon in the atmosphere.” [Dan Hilton - full letter]


["Strawberries in a stockpot": link to photo]

The ongoing discussion re protectionism will be interesting because it links the economy and the environment in the same sentence, as should always be the case.

The discussion will also link to the following:

Can we do without, live with less (fresh strawberries from California in February)?

Can more people revive lost skills (e.g. preserve locally preserved fruit)?

Can we become more self-reliant in other ways?

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