July 20, 2015

John Oliver Wants Americans to Stop Throwing Out So Much Food


Americans waste a ton of food. According to a study cited in Sunday’s Last Week Tonight, the country throws out nearly $165 billion worth of food every year, amounting to 730 football stadiums full of trash.

“Watching all that food go from farm-to-not-a-table is awful for a bunch of reasons,” Oliver said. “First and most obviously, there are many people in this country who need that food. In 2013, nearly 50 million Americans lived in food insecure households meaning that at some point in the year they struggled to put enough food on the table.”

All that waste also decomposes in overwhelmingly crowded landfills that produce staggering levels of methane gas.

“If you’re thinking, ‘But hold on, John, what if I’m an asshole who couldn’t give a shit about America’s hungry families or the long-term viability of life on earth?’ Well, first let me say, ‘Mr. Trump, thank you so much for taking the time to watch this show tonight. It’s lovely to have you with us.'”

If being compared to the likes of the Donald isn’t enough to move you, Oliver explains food waste is gutting your personal finances way more than you think as well.

Watch below:

 

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We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

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