U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions Down 35% As Meat Consumption Sags

Americans have achieved a great feat in battling climate change: Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in US diets have sunk 35%, mainly due to reduced appetite for meat in the past few decades.

Photo Insert: Current global dietary patterns exceed the maximum emissions boundary needed to keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius by 195 percent.

Writing for ZME Science on June 13, 2022, Andrei Mihai said a recent study revealed that more Americans are consuming vegetarian burgers, which has a far lower climate impact. When it comes to emissions, meat (particularly red meat) is the main culprit.

US beef emits 22 kg of CO2 equivalent emissions per kilo of meat, though estimates for other parts of the world can vary significantly. Even when emissions are measured per calorie or per gram of protein, which are two commonly used metrics, beef and other red meats perform significantly worse than almost every other food.

Reduced consumption of beef, lamb, pork, and dairy would be a good place to start on an environmentally friendly diet.

According to a recent EAT-Lancet Commission report, current global dietary patterns exceed the maximum emissions boundary needed to keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius by 195 percent – the goal of the 2015 Paris Agreement. To meet the climate targets, significant dietary changes were required.

Meanwhile, restaurants and supermarkets in Spain are about to be fined for food waste. The law requires bars, restaurants, and food stores to have a plan in place for unused or unsold food, with a priority placed on donating food before its best-before date.

They will also have to encourage the sale of products with a close expiration date by pricing them lower than those in ideal conditions.

WEEKLY FEATURE : MVP Group Keeps Lights On During Pandemic