The Dark Side of Refrigeration: An Interview with Nicola Twilley
The Problem with the Cold Chain
Twilley, a frequent contributor to the New Yorker and cohost of the podcast Gastropod, has written a book that sheds light on the "cold chain," the system of refrigeration that keeps our food fresh for long periods of time. In her book, Twilley argues that the cold chain has had a negative impact on the quality and diversity of our food, as well as the environment.
The Environmental Cost of Refrigeration
Refrigeration is not just a convenient technology, but a contributor to global warming and ozone depletion. According to Twilley, refrigerant management is the number one thing we can do to mitigate climate change, according to Project Drawdown, a climate solutions nonprofit. However, we have not done a true accounting of the environmental, nutritional, and sociocultural costs of refrigeration.
The Impact on Food Quality and Diversity
Twilley believes that refrigeration has enabled the push towards scale and monoculture, leading to a decline in the nutritional value of fruits and vegetables. She also argues that refrigeration has contributed to a loss of diversity in our food system.
Quarantine and Refrigeration: Two Ways of Manipulating Space and Time
Twilley, who co-wrote a book on quarantine with her frequent collaborator and spouse, Geoff Manaugh, notes that quarantine and refrigeration are both ways of using space and time to control nature. With refrigeration, we are using space and time to extend the shelf life of our food and move it around the globe.
The Artificial Cryosphere
Twilley’s book highlights the vast artificial winter we have built for our food to live in, an artificial cryosphere that is often invisible. She notes that we have to cast our minds back to when the focus was on "farm to table" and how that emphasis was on the farm, rather than the "to" part, the movement of food from the farm to the table.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Twilley’s book sheds light on the dark side of refrigeration, highlighting the environmental, nutritional, and sociocultural costs of this technology. Her work encourages us to think about the spaces we have built for our food to live in and how we can do things better.
FAQs
- What is the cold chain?
The cold chain refers to the system of refrigeration that keeps our food fresh for long periods of time. - What are the environmental costs of refrigeration?
Refrigeration is a contributor to global warming and ozone depletion, and refrigerant management is the number one thing we can do to mitigate climate change. - How has refrigeration impacted the quality and diversity of our food?
Refrigeration has enabled the push towards scale and monoculture, leading to a decline in the nutritional value of fruits and vegetables and a loss of diversity in our food system.
