When I attended the COP15 in Copenhagen there was a solidarity day of fasting. Due to my Muslim upbringing a 24 hour fast seemed too easy so I elected to do 3days or until I returned to the UK, dependent on what seems more appropriate at the time. I think I did 72 hours in the end. There was a girl there who looked on the verge of collapse who had been on hunger strike for over month, I regretfully cannot remember how long exactly. I was possessed by an idea that sadly got lost in the mess with other stuff but one that I hope to resurrect.

How much could I reduce my carbon foot print if I fasted one day of the week?

For the average Briton it is, from The Independent 2006

Food 1.39 tons

Generated by cooking, eating and drinking, including food miles and production of raw materials. Includes food transport in UK – equivalent to 300kg per person a year – and driving to supermarkets – another 40kg. A restaurant meal generates 8kg per diner

52 off days a year works out to around 14% of the food carbon or 2% overall or 200kg of carbon a year. Of course one should also avoid high carbon foods such as beef during the whole process and not pig out on the other days. I imagine it would be a larger percentage of my personal carbon footprint.

Now is it harmful beneficial or neutral to the body. Many answers from many websites. Here is an article on alternate day fasting which may or may not be relevant. However, the argument that has made the most sense to me is this humans did not evolve to have 3 set meals a day. We evolved as hunter gatherers that involved days of plenty and days of naught, so it is natural to have down periods. Makes enough sense to me to try it. So I have decided to begin a regime that between dinner on Tuesday and breakfast on Thursday I will have only water. It would probably also help me loose some weight