Lettuce is ‘three times worse than bacon' for emissions and vegetarian diets could be bad for environment
9 years, 3 months ago

Lettuce is ‘three times worse than bacon' for emissions and vegetarian diets could be bad for environment

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Lettuce is “over three times worse in greenhouse gas emissions than eating bacon”, according to researchers from the Carnegie Mellon University who analysed the impact per calorie of different foods in terms of energy cost, water use and emissions. Red Meat Explainer “Eggplant, celery and cucumbers look particularly bad when compared to pork or chicken.” The initial findings of the study were "surprising", according to senior research fellow Anthony Froggatt at Chatham House, an independent think-tank which is currently running a project looking at the link between meat consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Simply reducing the number of calories consumed, without changing the proportion of meat and other food types, cut combined emissions, energy and water use by around 9 per cent. “That’s important for public officials to know and for them to be cognisant of these trade-offs as they develop or continue to develop dietary guidelines in the future.” Chatham House's Mr Froggatt, who was not involved in the research, said it was important to look at production methods as well as the complex issue of how land use is "likely to be impacted by changing diets".

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History of this topic

How the answer to limiting climate change might lie in farms
3 weeks, 2 days ago

How the answer to limiting climate change might lie in farms

Firstpost  

If humanity wants to throw brakes on climate change, it has to step up its control over human sources of methane emissions. Agriculture Jack Marley, The Conversation “The biggest challenge to limiting climate change to 2 degrees Celsius, the upper target of the 2015 Paris agreement, is this: methane emissions are rising very fast,” says Euan Nisbet, a professor of …

Is eco-friendly eating healthy? Debunking 5 common myths
9 months, 2 weeks ago

Is eco-friendly eating healthy? Debunking 5 common myths

Hindustan Times  

Choosing food that is both healthy and good for the planet can be confusing. Here are five common food myths that need to be busted: Myth 1: "Meat's eco-footprint is exaggerated" Animal husbandry is one of the most environmentally-damaging activities in food production due to its high greenhouse gas emissions, extensive resource use, and the pollution it causes. Myth 2: …

Time to ditch the haggis? Scots are being urged to cut down on red meat to curb climate change
1 year ago

Time to ditch the haggis? Scots are being urged to cut down on red meat to curb climate change

Daily Mail  

It's one of the most famous Scottish dishes, enjoyed on Burns Night every year. If everyone ate no more than the dietary recommendation of 70g of meat per day, Scotland could reduce its total red meat consumption by 16 per cent, according to the researchers. The UK's climate change committee has recommended that the Scottish government take action to encourage …

12 New Year’s resolutions for sustainable living
1 year, 3 months ago

12 New Year’s resolutions for sustainable living

Hindustan Times  

Climate change often feels like an insurmountable challenge: The whole planet must move away from fossil fuels and rethink how we live, eat and get around. “The implication is: Just by leading your normal life, you are contributing to mass climate denial because people are looking at you and seeing that you think things are normal.” Start a climate book …

Your Eco-Friendly Lifestyle Is a Big Lie
1 year, 3 months ago

Your Eco-Friendly Lifestyle Is a Big Lie

Wired  

Outside my flat there used to be a path that ran alongside the local reservoir. Others pointed out that the new path made the reservoir much more accessible to people on foot or bike—sure the new path might feel less natural, they said, but if it gave people more options for walking and cycling then the whole area would benefit. …

Becoming a halfway vegan could curb climate change, scientists claim
1 year, 6 months ago

Becoming a halfway vegan could curb climate change, scientists claim

Daily Mail  

Scientists claim going 50 percent vegan could curb climate change. A new study suggests swapping half of your meat and dairy products for plant-based alternatives for the next 27 years could drop emissions by 31 percent. A new study has suggested swapping half of your meat and dairy products for plant-based alternatives for the next 27 years would drop emissions …

Vegan diets produce quarter of high-meat diets’ greenhouse gases – study
1 year, 8 months ago

Vegan diets produce quarter of high-meat diets’ greenhouse gases – study

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Researchers from the University of Oxford looking at the eating habits of 55,000 people found meat-free eating to have …

Eating meat creates four times more greenhouse gases than being vegan, landmark study finds
1 year, 8 months ago

Eating meat creates four times more greenhouse gases than being vegan, landmark study finds

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} High-meat diets produce …

The way we eat could add nearly 1 degree of warming by 2100
2 years ago

The way we eat could add nearly 1 degree of warming by 2100

Associated Press  

Greenhouse gas emissions from the way humans produce and consume food could add nearly 1 degree of warming to the Earth’s climate by 2100, according to a new study. “I think the biggest takeaway that I would want to have is the fact that methane emissions are really dominating the future warming associated with the food sector,” said Catherine C. …

Eats shoots and leaves: How green is our diet really?
2 years, 2 months ago

Eats shoots and leaves: How green is our diet really?

Hindustan Times  

Wave the green flag, by all means. “Over the past 50 years, meat production globally has more than quadrupled,” says Diana Bogueva, a researcher at Australia’s Curtin University Sustainability Policy Institute. “India’s per capita meat consumption is almost exactly the same as it was in 1961, at less than 4 kilogrammes per person,” says Bogueva. “I know that the country …

Climate Change & Food Inflation: One-Third of the Food Americans Buy Is Wasted
2 years, 3 months ago

Climate Change & Food Inflation: One-Third of the Food Americans Buy Is Wasted

The Quint  

About one-third of the food Americans buy is wasted, hurting the climate and consumers’ wallets Wasted food – and land, labor, chemicals, water and energy. Reducing wasted food could protect natural resources, save consumers money, reduce hunger and slow climate change. Developing meaningful interventions requires burrowing into the systems that make reducing food waste such a challenge for consumers, and …

Cut meat consumption to two burgers a week to stop worst of climate crisis, report urges
2 years, 5 months ago

Cut meat consumption to two burgers a week to stop worst of climate crisis, report urges

The Independent  

Meat consumption needs to be slashed to roughly two burgers a week in order to prevent the worst of the climate crisis, according to a new report. The State of Climate Action report assessed how much efforts in each area needed to be sped up to avoid “increasingly dangerous” and sometimes “irreversible” impacts of the climate crisis. The new report …

These are the best and worst foods for you and the planet, according to scientists
2 years, 7 months ago

These are the best and worst foods for you and the planet, according to scientists

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Scientists have determined the environmental and nutritional impact of more than 57,000 food products to …

Plant-based meat 'healthier and more sustainable than animal products': Study
2 years, 8 months ago

Plant-based meat 'healthier and more sustainable than animal products': Study

Hindustan Times  

According to a new study, plant-based nutritional substitutes for animal products are healthier for both the environment and people than the animal products they are meant to replace. Plant-based meat 'healthier and more sustainable than animal products': Study A new study argues that because these foods are 'specifically formulated to replicate the taste, texture, and overall eating experience of animal …

UK government has 'no intention' of telling public to eat less meat
2 years, 9 months ago

UK government has 'no intention' of telling public to eat less meat

Daily Mail  

The UK government has 'no intention' of telling the public to eat less meat in the battle against climate change, claims the Environment Secretary. 'The government is very explicit in saying that from an environmental perspective, we're not telling people that they shouldn't eat meat,' Eustice told the Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee inquiry. George Eustice, Secretary of State …

The climate benefits of veganism and vegetarianism
2 years, 11 months ago

The climate benefits of veganism and vegetarianism

BBC  

The climate benefits of veganism and vegetarianism Alamy Swapping animal products for a plant-based diet can significantly lower emissions from your diet In a two-week experiment, BBC Future tracked emissions from a vegan, vegetarian and omnivorous diet – and found some thought-provoking ways to lower emissions from our food. "For vegetables, cooking can cause up to 80% of the climate …

Plant based diet doubly good for climate: researchers
3 years, 2 months ago

Plant based diet doubly good for climate: researchers

NL Times  

A mainly plant-based diet can lead to double climate gains, according to a group of international researchers, including from Leiden University. In this way, people could theoretically remove nearly 100 gigatons of CO2 from the atmosphere this century, lead researcher Zhongxiao Sun of the China Agricultural University and his colleagues calculated. Or, as the researchers wrote in the scientific journal …

Study links healthier diets with lower greenhouse gas emissions
3 years, 4 months ago

Study links healthier diets with lower greenhouse gas emissions

Hindustan Times  

According to a new study by the University of Leeds led by Dr Holly Rippin, healthier and nutritious diets are often more environmentally sustainable. Study links healthier diets with lower greenhouse gas emissions The research was published in the 'PLOS ONE Journal'. Working towards better accuracy, Rippin and colleagues evaluated existing published research in order to assign greenhouse gas emissions …

Climate change: Men's diets are linked to 41 per cent higher greenhouse gas emissions than women's
3 years, 4 months ago

Climate change: Men's diets are linked to 41 per cent higher greenhouse gas emissions than women's

Daily Mail  

The meat-rich diets of men result in 41 per cent higher greenhouse gas emissions on average than the diets of women, a study has revealed. The meat-rich diets of men result in 41 per cent more food-related greenhouse gas emissions on average than the diets of women, a study has concluded. Analysing the participants' diets, the team found than non-vegetarian …

Eating less red meat and more fruit and veg 'could increase life expectancy by eight months'
3 years, 5 months ago

Eating less red meat and more fruit and veg 'could increase life expectancy by eight months'

Daily Mail  

Reducing the consumption of red and processed meat and eating more fruit and vegetables could increase the average life expectancy by eight months, a new study suggests. Broken down by food type: - Animal-based food emissions contribute 57 per cent - Plant-based food emissions contribute 29 per cent - 'Non-food' utilisation such as cotton and rubber production contributes 14 per …

Animal products make up 57% of food-based greenhouse gas emissions, study finds
3 years, 6 months ago

Animal products make up 57% of food-based greenhouse gas emissions, study finds

Daily Mail  

Meat and dairy accounts for 57 per cent of food-based greenhouse gas emissions, according to a new computer modelling study. Overall, taking into account farmland, livestock and land use changes, global food production is responsible for 17.318 billion metric tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per year, the authors say. Global greenhouse gas emissions from animal-based foods, including but not limited …

How To Lower Your Carbon Footprint With The Foods You Eat (And Don't Eat)
3 years, 11 months ago

How To Lower Your Carbon Footprint With The Foods You Eat (And Don't Eat)

Huff Post  

The-Tor via Getty Images Greenhouse gases — water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, nitrous oxide and chlorofluorocarbons — are causing the Earth to get warmer, thus leading to more natural disasters, health issues and food supply disruptions. “We have a bill that’s moving in the D.C. Council right now to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with the District of Columbia’s …

Study uncovers association of greenhouse gas emissions with dietary guidelines
4 years ago

Study uncovers association of greenhouse gas emissions with dietary guidelines

Hindustan Times  

A study drove by the Nutrition Journal, involving seven countries discovered that greenhouse gas emissions associated with national dietary guidelines advocating a healthy diet vary greatly between countries, with US guidelines having the largest carbon footprint and India having the smallest. To investigate differences in greenhouse gas emissions associated with different dietary guidelines, a team of researchers at Tulane University …

Meeting climate goals ‘would save millions of lives every year’ through shift to healthier and greener diets
4 years, 1 month ago

Meeting climate goals ‘would save millions of lives every year’ through shift to healthier and greener diets

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Taking tougher action to meet the world’s climate goals could save millions of lives each …

Calculate the environmental footprint of your food
4 years, 1 month ago

Calculate the environmental footprint of your food

BBC  

Calculate the environmental footprint of your food Getty Images Unravelling how the food you eat affects the environment can be tricky, which is why BBC Future has created a Foodprint Calculator to reveal how different choices change the impact you have. The entire food system – which includes the production, packaging, transportation and disposal of everything we eat – accounts …

World cannot meet toughest climate targets without eating less meat, study says
4 years, 4 months ago

World cannot meet toughest climate targets without eating less meat, study says

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “Without changing food systems, we’ll likely miss the 1.5C target in 30 to 45 years and the 2C target …

Veganism is 'single biggest way' to reduce our environmental impact on planet, study finds
4 years, 6 months ago

Veganism is 'single biggest way' to reduce our environmental impact on planet, study finds

The Independent  

Sign up to our free Living Well email for advice on living a happier, healthier and longer life Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. …

Climate change: Eating plants, not meat, could remove 16 years' worth of CO2 emissions by 2050
4 years, 6 months ago

Climate change: Eating plants, not meat, could remove 16 years' worth of CO2 emissions by 2050

Daily Mail  

Switching from eating 'land-hungry' meat and dairy produce to foodstuffs like beans, lentils and nuts could remove 16 years' worth of CO2 emissions by 2050. Switching from eating 'land-hungry' meat and dairy produce to foodstuffs like beans, lentils and nuts, pictured, could remove 16 year's worth of CO2 emissions by 2050, expert said 'The greatest potential for forest regrowth, and …

I calculated my family's carbon footprint — and now we need to eat a lot less red meat
4 years, 10 months ago

I calculated my family's carbon footprint — and now we need to eat a lot less red meat

ABC  

So, let's start this again. The meat my family eats Food comprises about 15-20 per cent of Australia's total carbon emissions, according to Deakin University food sustainability expert Michalis Hadjikakou. Dr Hadjikakou says there are three things we can personally do to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions from food: Eat less red meat Reduce food waste Cut down on …

How cutting your food waste can help the climate
5 years, 1 month ago

How cutting your food waste can help the climate

BBC  

How cutting your food waste can help the climate Getty Images/Javier Hirschfeld Smart Guide to Climate Change: how cutting your food waste can reduce your carbon footprint All food generates greenhouse gases to reach our plates, but when nearly a third of it is thrown away or wasted, does that mean we could be doing more to protect the climate? …

Tofu worse for the environment than meat, say farmers
5 years, 1 month ago

Tofu worse for the environment than meat, say farmers

The Independent  

Sign up to IndyEat's free newsletter for weekly recipes, foodie features and cookbook releases Get our food and drink newsletter for free Get our food and drink newsletter for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. This is despite studies showing that following a vegan diet could be the “single …

Scientists urge people to eat less meat amid declaration of climate emergency
5 years, 4 months ago

Scientists urge people to eat less meat amid declaration of climate emergency

The Independent  

Sign up to IndyEat's free newsletter for weekly recipes, foodie features and cookbook releases Get our food and drink newsletter for free Get our food and drink newsletter for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Scientists are imploring members of the public to eat less …

Poor countries have to increase carbon footprint to address hunger: Study
5 years, 6 months ago

Poor countries have to increase carbon footprint to address hunger: Study

Hindustan Times  

Achieving a nutritious diet with adequate calories in developing countries will require a substantial increase in greenhouse gas emissions and water use, scientists reported Monday, calling on high-income countries to accelerate the adoption of plant-heavy diets. Keeve Nachman, the study’s senior author, told AFP that much of the conversation about mitigating the effects of climate change “fails to recognise that …

Eat healthier, and you’ll help save the planet, report says
5 years, 7 months ago

Eat healthier, and you’ll help save the planet, report says

CNN  

CNN — A climate change report published Thursday by United Nations scientists says that eating less meat and reducing food waste could slash global emissions and benefit our health and the environment. One study, published October in the journal Nature, found that as a result of population growth and the continued consumption of Western diets high in red meats and …

Is The Movement To Eat Less Meat Actually Making A Difference?
5 years, 8 months ago

Is The Movement To Eat Less Meat Actually Making A Difference?

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING Would it surprise you to learn that 95% of the people who bought a plant-based burger this past year were meat eaters? “If the average American cut just a quarter pound of beef a week from their diet, about one hamburger, it would be the equivalent of taking 10 million cars off the road for a year.” …

Yes, eating meat affects the environment, but cows are not killing the climate
5 years, 11 months ago

Yes, eating meat affects the environment, but cows are not killing the climate

Associated Press  

Frank M. Mitloehner, University of California, Davis As the scale and impacts of climate change become increasingly alarming, meat is a popular target for action. Unfortunately, the agency’s initial claim that livestock was responsible for the lion’s share of world greenhouse gas emissions had already received wide coverage. But according to one recent study, even if Americans eliminated all animal …

Food production needs to be more eco-friendly
6 years, 2 months ago

Food production needs to be more eco-friendly

Hindustan Times  

If the planet has to be saved from catastrophic climate change, by 2040, the world’s food production systems should absorb more carbon than they emit; in other words, act as a carbon sink, a global report has found. Food production changes land-use, causes climate change, biodiversity loss, freshwater depletion and involves the use of chemical fertilizers. The commission, which focused …

Livestock farming could take up half the greenhouse gas emissions by 2030: Study
6 years, 4 months ago

Livestock farming could take up half the greenhouse gas emissions by 2030: Study

Firstpost  

Methane has 85 times the global warming potential carbon dioxide has over a 20-year time period. The livestock sector could use almost half of the 1.5 degrees Celsius greenhouse gas emission budget allowed by 2030, so addressing this should be a key part of the strategy to hit climate targets, a new study said on Tuesday. Set targets to transition …

Eat less meat to meet climate targets: Study
6 years, 4 months ago

Eat less meat to meet climate targets: Study

India TV News  

The livestock sector could use almost half of the 1.5 degrees Celsius greenhouse gas emission budget allowed by 2030, so addressing this should be a key part of the strategy to hit climate targets, a new study said on Tuesday. Farmed animal law and policy fellow Helen Harwatt at Harvard Law School advises that getting protein from plant sources instead …

Massive reduction in meat consumption and changes to farming vital to guarantee future food supply, major study says
6 years, 5 months ago

Massive reduction in meat consumption and changes to farming vital to guarantee future food supply, major study says

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A massive reduction in the quantity of meat being consumed combined with huge changes to …

It's finally been proven that my meat-eating is definitely ruining the environment, but it's just so good
6 years, 10 months ago

It's finally been proven that my meat-eating is definitely ruining the environment, but it's just so good

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy There is …

Health tips: Being vegan good for environment, claims Study
7 years, 1 month ago

Health tips: Being vegan good for environment, claims Study

India TV News  

Are you planning to go vegan very soon? The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition, also found that organic food provides significant, additional climate benefits for plant-based diets. The researchers also conducted production life cycle environmental impact assessments at the farm level against three environmental indicators - greenhouse gas emissions, cumulative energy demand and land occupation. After combining …

Meat eaters are destroying the planet, says report
7 years, 5 months ago

Meat eaters are destroying the planet, says report

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Meat consumption is devastating some of the world’s most valuable and …

These are the most climate-damaging foods
7 years, 10 months ago

These are the most climate-damaging foods

CNN  

Beef — Beef is widely recognized as the most climate-damaging of all foods. A 2017 study by the Natural Resources Defense Council on food consumption in the US calculates that each kilogram of beef produces 26.5 kilograms of CO2 emissions -- the highest among all the foods observed in the study, and five times more than chicken or turkey meat.Animal …

Nutrition is Increasingly Important in the Fight for Sustainability
8 years, 5 months ago

Nutrition is Increasingly Important in the Fight for Sustainability

Huff Post  

Image Credit: Huffington Post Images A recent study in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Science reports that our dietary habits create as much as 25 percent of greenhouse gas emissions globally. Food waste creates another 7 to 8 percent of greenhouse gas emissions globally. But, with food choices already contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, and with population …

For Earth Day, Report Has News To Ease A Meat-Lover's Conscience
8 years, 11 months ago

For Earth Day, Report Has News To Ease A Meat-Lover's Conscience

NPR  

For Earth Day, Report Has News To Ease A Meat-Lover's Conscience Enlarge this image toggle caption iStockphoto iStockphoto Earth Day got you thinking about how your diet impacts the planet? In a statement, the American Meat Institute called the WRI's report "riddled with factual flaws about protein consumption and, in turn, the environmental impact of balanced diets that include meat." …

Vegetarian and vegan diets could save millions of lives and cut global warming, study finds
9 years ago

Vegetarian and vegan diets could save millions of lives and cut global warming, study finds

The Independent  

Sign up to our free Living Well email for advice on living a happier, healthier and longer life Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. …

Study tallies the payback for humans and planet of eating more plants and less meat
9 years ago

Study tallies the payback for humans and planet of eating more plants and less meat

LA Times  

A new study estimates substantial health and economic benefits if the world consumed less meat and more plant-based foods. If the world increased its consumption of fruits and vegetables and maxed out its average weekly red meat consumption at just over 10 ounces, about 5.1 million premature deaths would be averted annually, and projected greenhouse gas emissions in 2050 would …

5 Ways To Be A Climate-Friendly Eater In 2016
9 years, 3 months ago

5 Ways To Be A Climate-Friendly Eater In 2016

Huff Post  

Andrew Peacock via Getty Images If you're one of the 25 percent of Americans who's extremely worried about the threat of climate change but not sure how to lower your own carbon footprint, consider starting with your diet this new year. Climates, a climate-focused social network that's credited with bringing the term into prominence, identifies climatarians more specifically, defining them …

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