Daily Archives: June 10, 2017

Fast Food and the Environment - Discussion Questions

Fast Food and the Environment – Discussion Questions (Part 2)

Discuss these questions with a partner or small group, or write down your answers:

1. Which option do you prefer and why?

a. restaurant food vs. home-cooked food?
b. supermarket vs. farmers’ market?
c. farmers’ market vs. home-grown food?
d. thermos flask vs. plastic drink cup?
e. new fast food place opening in your town vs. new library / school?
f. to do something yourself vs. to have it done for you?
g. to cook for yourself vs. to have food cooked for you

2. What does the phrase carbon neutral mean? What is the cost of recycling? Is it carbon neutral?

3. What is a carbon footprint? Do you know yours? If yes, how did you found out? If not, why not? Do you think it is necessary to know? Why do some businesses have bigger carbon footprints?

4. Which companies consume the most resources in the world? Why do they do it? Do we need them to do so?

5. What is the connection between fast food and deforestation? What is the solution?

6. In the future, will we be able to grow meat in a lab? Will this solve the problem of cutting down trees in order to make farmland for animals that are destined to be eaten as fast food?

7. Why are some people apathetic when it comes to the environment?

8. Are wind turbines effective in generating enough green power – or are they rather a blot on the landscape?

9. What effect does fast food have on… a) our societies, b) our town centres, c) our waistlines, d) our health, e) our wallets, f) the weather?

10. Is fast food harmful? Why is it legal to buy products that are bad for you? Should it be illegal to sell harmful products? Why do fast food companies target children in particular?

11. Does fast food need to be the same (uniform) all over the world? Is it?

12. What’s the point of eating a healthy meal / salad at a fast food chain? Do you do that? Why?

13. Does fast food tell us anything about the decline in Western culture in the 21st century? What?

14. What would happen if half of the fast food restaurants in the world closed down voluntarily?

15. Agree or disagree? ‘Why should I separate my rubbish at a fast food restaurant? I don’t want to feel like a member of staff. That’s their job! They should do it. I paid for my food.’

16. Why do people leave their used fast food wrappers in places of natural beauty, e.g. forests?

17. What are the dangers of consuming too much… a) salt, b) sugar, c) fat, d) meat, e) caffeine?

18. Agree or disagree? ‘You should never take more than you give.’ – Tim Rice, ‘Circle of Life’.

19. Agree or disagree? ‘When the last tree has been cut down, the last fish caught, the last river poisoned, only then will we realise that one cannot eat money.’ – Native American saying.

Fast Food and the Environment - Discussion Questions

Fast Food and the Environment – Discussion Questions (Part 1)

Discuss these questions with a partner or small group, or write down your answers:

1. What is fast food? Do you like fast food? Does fast food satisfy you? Why? / Why not?
What are the pros and cons of fast food? Is pizza fast food? Why? / Why not?

2. Do you live near a fast food restaurant? How often do you use it? What’s the difference between a fast food restaurant and a normal restaurant? Was there fast food 100 years ago? How did people manage without it?

3. Do we need fast food? What does it offer that other kinds of food cannot?

4. How do fast food chains impact on the environment? Consider:

a. land
b. agriculture
c. animals
d. transport
e. warehousing
f. energy
g. water
h. pollution

What is their carbon footprint, compared to other kinds of business? What are fast food chains doing to reduce their carbon footprint / impact on the environment?

5. How many fast food restaurants are there… a) in your town, b) in your country, c) in the world?

6. Why does the human body crave sugar and fat? Is it possible to be addicted to fast food?
What happens if we avoid junk food?

7. How many solar panels does it take to power one fast food restaurant?

8. Do you think the world would be a better place with more people and fewer trees? Why? / Why not? Is it a good thing that hot food is always freely available in our society? Has it always been that way? Is that true in every society?

9. Should there be stricter rules for corporations when it comes to impacting on the environment?

10. Which is better: localism or globalism? Why? What are the pros and cons of each?

11. Do humans need to eat meat… a) more than once a day, b) every day, c) every week, d) at all? Why?

12. Have vegetarians or vegans got it right when it comes to the environment? Why? / Why not? Have you ever seen a fast food outlet selling only healthy food? Would it be possible?

13. Would you like to work for a fast food chain? Why? What kind of salary would you receive?

14. Is deforestation ever a positive thing? Why? / Why not?

15. What is the difference between fast food and junk food?

16. When you eat at a fast food chain, do you segregate your rubbish after your meal? Should customers have to work or should an employee do this? Should we be able to take our own crockery and cutlery to fast food restaurants, to dramatically cut down on waste paper, card, and plastic – or should dishwashers be used? What would be the added cost of that?

17. Do fast food restaurants cause a litter problem? What can be done about it?

18. Do you believe that recycling makes a difference to the environment? Why? / Why not?
Why do we give our household recycling for free to companies which sell it to make a profit?