Most of us are aware that shifting to a vegan or vegetarian diet can have a big impact in reducing our individual carbon footprint. For social, cultural, and emotional reasons, making such a leap is too far for most of us. Fortunately, Project Drawdown and other studies indicate that moving to a plant-rich diet without giving up meat, dairy, or other animal-based products can be climate-friendly and healthy.
Here are some tips:
- Shift away from beef and lamb to poultry, pork, and fish. Carbon emissions from poultry is less than 20 percent of beef.
- Opt for pasta or rice dishes, soups, stir-fries, stews and other entrees that reduce the amount of meat per serving.
- Try substituting beans, tofu, mushrooms, or meat substitutes for meat in recipes.
- Buy organic foods, produced without petroleum-based fertilizers and pesticides and often using techniques which build organic matter into the soil.
- Buy locally-grown produce (or grow your own) in season.
- Minimize food waste and compost unavoidable food waste.
This content originally appeared in The EcoAdvocate newsletter produced by the EcoAction Arlington Advocacy Committee.
Let’s Make the FY2025 Budget a Climate Budget