Follow up from earlier post. Key quotes…
The new research, published in the journal Nature, is the most thorough to date and combined data from every country to assess the impact of food production on the global environment. It then looked at what could be done to stop the looming food crisis.
The researchers found a global shift to a “flexitarian” diet was needed to keep climate change even under 2C, let alone 1.5C. This flexitarian diet means the average world citizen needs to eat 75% less beef, 90% less pork and half the number of eggs, while tripling consumption of beans and pulses and quadrupling nuts and seeds. This would halve emissions from livestock and better management of manure would enable further cuts.
In rich nations, the dietary changes required are ever more stark. UK and US citizens need to cut beef by 90% and milk by 60% while increasing beans and pulses between four and six times.
NOTE: These numbers are only measure to limit increases to 2C, while an increase of 1.5C is seen as the realistic cap. Therefore, based on my understanding, the percentage decreases listed above are a very conservative estimate, and the 1.5C calculations would require even greater cuts in all areas. Essentially, that amounts to a whole foods, plant-based diet, either completely or nearly completely, for many/most/all people, with the greatest cuts coming from the wealthiest countries.
Prof Peter Smith at the University of Aberdeen, who was also not part of the research team, said: “We know food choices are very personal, and that behaviour change can be difficult to encourage, but the evidence is now unequivocal – we need to change our diets if we are to have a sustainable future. The fact that it will also make us healthier makes it a no-brainer.” (Bold mine.)
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Huge reduction in meat-eating ‘essential’ to avoid climate breakdown
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/oct/10/huge-reduction-in-meat-eating-essential-to-avoid-climate-breakdown?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_WordPress
