A Diet For The Planet

The ideal diet to combat climate change; Plant-based diets better for planet, study says

Lisa Drayer, October 18, 2018 (KXLY Spokane)

“…[A]s a result of population growth and the continued consumption of Western diets high in red meats and processed foods, the environmental pressures of the food system could increase by up to 90% by 2050…[and] Earth's vital ecosystems could become unstable…[According to a study Oxford University, this] could lead to dangerous levels of climate change with higher occurrences of extreme weather events…Sustaining a healthier planet will require halving the amount of food loss and waste, and improving farming practices and technologies. But it will also require a shift toward more plant-based diets…

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…[The study animal products generate] up to 78% of total agricultural emissions…due to manure-related emissions…The feed-related impacts of animal products also contribute to freshwater use and pressures on cropland…[B]eef is more than 100 times as emissions-intensive as legumes…[C]ows emit about 10 times more greenhouse gases per kilogram of meat than pigs and chickens, which themselves emit about 10 times more than legumes…[A] flexitarian diet, which is predominantly plant-based, can help…[It] includes plenty of fruits, vegetables and plant-based protein sources including legumes, soybeans and nuts, along with modest amounts of poultry, fish, milk and eggs, and small amounts of red meat…” click here for more

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