On Aug 13, 1:37 pm, "Dick Adams" > wrote:
> What is the carbon footprint of a loaf of sourdough bread?

It could be that the grain is neutral... I figure a 50 lb. sack has 8
pounds of water. So there's probably 40-42 pounds of impoundment.

Then we have the question of alternatives. If the farmer's not growing
wheat or soy, he's probably growing corn. Corn leads us to ethanol or
confinement meat... both are carbon disasters.

So on the raw basis, I'd say wheat is good. Probably not as good as
hunting and gathering, living in the trees and so forth, but probably
about as good as we'll get for an industrial process.

The baking of bread is problematic. Perhaps we'll see the eventual
return of the village oven. I gotta believe the village oven will be
more entertaining than TV.