A less obvious lifestyle change that has a big effect on carbon emissions is diet. According to a recently published study by Eshel and his colleague Pamela Martin, the carbon emission difference between an all vegetable-based diet vs. a typical American diet – which includes ample meat and dairy products – is about the same as the difference between driving an SUV vs. a small sedan.
"Of the total U.S. greenhouse gas footprint, agriculture is one of the top five players," said Eshel.
The fossil fuels and carbon emissions involved in farming, transporting, processing and distributing food is enormous, said Eshel. Also, because it takes 10 times as much energy to grow a pound of beef than to grow a pound of corn, it’s a lot more efficient for humans to eat the vegetables directly, when possible.
It’s not necessary to become a vegetarian to make a difference. Just reducing the amount of meat or animal products eaten every week can chip away at your personal carbon emissions.
"If you scale it up, it’s actually a big thing," says climate researcher David Battisti of the University of Washington, of the effect of millions of people making small dietary changes. "There is a real issue here."
Plus, of course, there are ample well-documented health benefits of diets rich in fruits and vegetables.
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