Action - Eat less meat
The environmental footprint of eating meat has been studied recently with much more intensity. The general consensus is that meat-intense diets are responsible for more CO2 emissions than plant-based diets, although the exact amounts are still being debated. A recent study from the University of Chicago concluded that 'a person consuming a mixed diet with the mean American caloric content and composition causes the emissions of 1485 kg CO2-equivalent above the emissions associated with consuming the same number of calories, but from plant sources.'
In reality, Westerners, and especially North Americans, consume at least 10 times the meat per person compared to poor countries. This is not a sustainable level to maintain.
A reduction in meat consumption by 50% would have the effect of reducing almost 750kg of CO2 per year. This would be more than an equivalent reduction than walking to work instead of driving, for the average person.
The most difficult part, for most Westerners, is breaking the habit of defaulting to meat. As a first step, why not try reducing just for a week?
The cash savings are listed as zero because it would entirely depend on a persons own eating habits.
Known benefits and costs
| Annual CO2 Savings | 150 - 1,485 kg |
|---|---|
| 330 - 3,267 lbs | |
| Annual Cash Savings | $0 - $0 |
| Initial Cost | $0 - $0 |
| Time to pay for itself | 0.0 - 0.0 years |
| CO2 saved per year per initial dollar invested | 150.00 - 1485.00 kg |
* These values were taken from many sources including product documentation, published reports, and the referenced material below. The ranges are due to differences in methods of achieving this action.