This past Rose Cafe focused on how where we live can really impact our lives and choices. For example, people living in urban areas are probably more likely to use public transportation and have more options in terms of food. People in very rural areas, conversely, need to use a car and are probably more limited in what they can choose from food-wise. This made me rethink the idea that just anyone can live a sustainable lifestyle. We can all take steps to decrease our carbon footprint, but it’s much more difficult for some people than others.

When we talked about the difference between urban and rural areas’ choice of food, it reminded me of a topic I was interested in a few years ago. Where I live in California, there is a huge disparity in life expectancy just between counties. This is largely due to the fact that one of our counties, San Bernardino, has a “food desert”. If I’m remembering correctly, a food desert is when there are no fresh food options within a certain radius of your home. People turn to fast food chains because they are basically their only choice. Planning out cities in a way that everyone can access healthy, fresh food is definitely integral to improving peoples’ life quality and expectancy.