From growing crops to processing, transporting, selling, storing and throwing away food – the food we eat has an impact on the environment and the climate. Globally, livestock agriculture is one of the leading causes of the world’s most pressing environmental issues, accounting for 18 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. Now that’s the equivalent of the emissions from every car, train, plane and ship on Earth.
So, any step you can take to reduce CO2 — from reducing your meat consumption to installing solar panels — helps fight climate change. Reducing your consumption of meat is something that almost anyone can do and this small switch can make a big impact, but I understand it can get a bit overwhelming! But, hey, no one’s saying you should go cold turkey and quit consuming meat today, but you can take your time easing into a more plant-based diet.
American environmental ddvocate and former actress, Suzy Amis Cameron agrees you don’t have to go full-on vegan to have a positive impact on the planet. In her book “One Meal a Day: The Simple, Plant-Based Program to Save Your Health, Save Your Waistline, and Save the Planet,” she writes, “By switching one meat- or dairy-based meal a day, we can slash our personal water and carbon footprint by about 25 percent.” Overall, we recommend trying to eat as less meat as possible, perhaps trying to be vegan for a couple of days a week.
Did you know that the average amount of meat eaten per person in the UK is almost double the world average? So you know reduction of this meat consumption is key, but how much meat is it ok to eat? According to research published in medical journal The Lancet, by 2050 each person should be eating no more than 300g of meat per week. That’s the same as three chicken breasts or a very large steak.
Right now we are not close to this goal, and our appetite for meat is growing fast: at the current rate of growth, meat consumption will rise by 76% by 2050. The climate crisis is big and global warming, by definition, is global. And changing our diets is one way to make a significant impact at curbing carbon emissions. So it's your turn to start right now, right here and make a decision to do your bit to protect our environment.