Monday, October 19, 2009

Economies of Scale?

I've been making my own bread lately, among other things....and it's got me thinking about economies of scale. That is when I crank my oven to 450 for 40 minutes, I'm thinking how much energy will it take to bake this one loaf of bread. Economies of scale is an economics term that refers to the reduction in cost as production increases. Cost can also be seen as resources. In short that is to say, it is cheaper and less wasteful to bake 100 loaves of bread, than it is to bake 1 loaf. This fact leads to a sort of dissonance in my intent to become self sufficient, to take steps away from commercial dependence, and to help the environment. Economies of scale suggest that while it may be better for me to bake my own bread, it is better for the planet for me to buy it. Of course one must consider, the activities of the company making the bread, and the calories spent on distribution (that is consumption of fossil fuels to get the bread to the shelf). Hmmm, what is a girl to do?

No comments:

Post a Comment