On Apr. 22-Earth Day-Ben & Jerry’s, the ice cream subsidiary of Unilever NV, protested the long-standing proposal to drill the Alaskan Arctic National Wildlife Refuge by creating what company officials described as the world’s largest Baked Alaska as part of the firm’s “Lick Global Warming” campaign.
The giant dessert was designed to symbolize possible environmental damage from drilling in ANWR. Ben & Jerry’s officials expressed concern that drilling might inflict harm on the polar bears, grizzlies, caribou, musk oxen, wolves, and countless species of birds in ANWR.
But they seemed less concerned about possible damage to their fellow citizens as they served up the 4 ft tall, 4 ft circumference, 1,140 lb dessert in front of the capitol of the US-a country that has experienced a dramatic increase in obesity practically since company founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield opened their first Ben & Jerry’s outlet in a former retail gasoline station in Burlington, Vt., in 1978.
Obesity epidemic
According to various government and private reports, some 30.6% of US adults and 16.5% of US youths 6-19 years old are obese, which is 30 lb or more over a healthy weight. Throw in those US citizens who are 10-29 lb overweight, and the fat meter jumps to almost 65%.
Of course, Ben & Jerry’s alone is not responsible for the epidemic of obesity rampant in the US. Moreover, the company reports on its website, “Ben & Jerry’s contributes a minimum of $1.1 million annually through corporate philanthropy that is primarily employee-led. Contributions made via the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation in 2001 totaled over $1.4 million.” Its corporate philanthropy is aimed primarily at “economic and social justice, environmental restoration, and peace through understanding.” Perhaps not surprisingly, it is silent on issues such as obesity and eating disorders.
Still, some nutritionists claim obesity is strongly influenced by environment, including lifestyle behavior such as what a person eats and the level of physical activity. They claim psychological factors also influence eating habits since many people eat in response to negative emotions such as boredom, sadness, or anger.
Apparently, that’s well understood at Ben & Jerry’s, since its web site advertises, “Had a bad day? Had a good day? Either way, our four new Mood Magic flavors are sure to bring you emotional rescue.” According to nutritional information furnished by the company, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream ranges from 230 cal and 9 g of saturated fat/half cup to 360 cal and 13 g of saturated fat/half cup. It’s low-fat yogurt, however, dips to 170 cal and 6 g of saturated fat/half cup. Saturated fats come from animal products, including eggs and dairy, and are a major cause of coronary heart disease, say doctors and nutritionists.
Mileage offset
Ben & Jerry’s didn’t say how much energy it took to bake the 90 lb of cake or freeze the 3,600 4-oz scoops of ice cream or to make the 150 lb of marshmallow crème that went into its giant Baked Alaska. However, the company offset the “mileage” of the bus that brought demonstrating employees from its Vermont headquarters to Washington through the purchase of “green tags supporting wind energy.”
Although its product is made in pints rather than barrels, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream manufacturing process is much like a petroleum refinery in that both function with high pressures and major changes in temperature. The company uses high temperatures to pasteurize its milk and high pressure (2,000 psi) to homogenize it. Temperature changes vary from 145° F. down to -10° aboard the Spiral Hardener, with its 17-ft high, 24-tier, corkscrew-shaped conveyor belt, huge coils carrying liquid ammonia chilled to -50°, and the air-thrust from fans “so powerful that it can propel a small jet” that create a wind chill of -70°.
That sounds energy-intensive. Yet while Ben & Jerry’s reports it is “rapidly expanding our franchise network in key markets across the country,” company officials pooh-poohed the US need for oil and natural gas from ANWR at their Baked Alaska demonstration. ANWR’s peak production, they sniffed, might amount to only 2% of US daily demand or 400,000 b/d. Ben & Jerry’s officials suggested, “Instead of opening the arctic refuge to oil drilling, Americans could simply properly inflate their tires or buy a few more hybrid cars.”
Or maybe eat less ice cream.✦
