The EAT-Lancet Commission defines diets that are optimal for human and planetary health.
“Scientists have a moral obligation to clearly warn humanity of catastrophic threats and to ‘tell it like it is.’” In November 2019, more than 11,000 scientists from 150 countries announced that “The Earth is ” As you can see in the series of graphs starting at 0:33 in my video “Win-Win Dietary Solutions to the Climate Crisis,” CO2 Levels are rising and glaciers are melting, similar to Antarctica. The oceans are getting hotter and more acidic. Sea levels are rising and extreme weather events are intensifying. While it is true that fossil fuel use is increasing, for example in air travel, per capita meat consumption is also increasing. In fact, one of the solutions suggested by scientists to save the climate crisis is to “eat primarily plant-based foods while reducing global consumption of animal products…”
What makes designing a sustainable diet so easy is that the dietary advice is the same: eat less meat. It’s not only good for our personal health (e.g. by reducing the risk of our biggest killers), but also for the health of the planet. As you can see below and at 1:24 of my video, unhealthy food has the worst impact on the environment.
In fact, as you can see below and at 1:31 of my video, the most nutritious foods also happen to be the foods with the lowest greenhouse gas emissions, so the effect is a win-win.
Let’s put everything together. What would that look like if we were to “redesign the global food system for human and planetary health: human health, planetary health, and future human health”? EAT-Lancet Join the committee. What is “the result of more than two years of cooperation between 37 experts from 16 countries”? We suggest reducing total meat consumption to less than 1 ounce (28 g) per day (the weight of one chicken nugget) while dramatically increasing intake of legumes (beans, split peas, legumes). I am. chickpeas, lentils), vegetables, nuts, and fruits. Not only are we in a climate crisis, we are also facing a health crisis. “An unhealthy diet carries a higher risk of morbidity and mortality than the combination of unsafe sex, alcohol, drugs, and tobacco use.” However, “increasing the consumption of plant-based foods Both crises can be addressed simultaneously by “drastically reducing the consumption of foods of animal origin.”
Eating a diet like this could save more than 10 million lives a year. It might even lead to saving the world. The Paris Agreement set out boundary conditions, ambitious targets for carbon budgets to prevent catastrophic impacts. “Eating a plant-based diet helps us stay within the bounds of climate change.”
Additionally, “The economic value of the health benefits associated with increasing plant-based diets is equal to or exceeds the value of the environmental benefits.” You can see it below and at 3:11 of my video. As such, the health care benefits alone of a healthy global diet that is primarily plant-based, vegetarian, or vegan could exceed the price of carbon saved. It is estimated that up to $30 trillion can be saved annually from the health benefits of healthier eating alone.
Now, if the health of yourself, the planet, and your loved ones doesn’t motivate you, consider that you may also be facing a threat to the world’s beer supply. The title of the paper tells the story: “Extreme drought and heat reduce global beer supply.”
And eating healthier doesn’t just reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing meat consumption is also key to biodiversity conservation, as “livestock production is the biggest driver of habitat loss.” The researchers suggest “reducing the demand for foods of animal origin and increasing the proportion of foods of plant origin in the diet. Ideally, the latter would reach a global average of 90% of the food consumed. Similarly, it appears to be a “blind spot in water policy,” even though “livestock production is also a major contributor to climate change, soil loss, and water and nutrient pollution.” “Water managers never talk about meat and dairy products, despite the fact that animal products form the most important component of humanity’s WF (water footprint).”
However, it’s not just animal products. Yes, at least 80 percent of deforestation in the Amazon is to raise cattle and grow feed crops such as soybeans for export to other livestock, but also to make vegetable oil, primarily from palm and soybeans. Both crops are expanding, “resulting in massive deforestation with reduced biodiversity and the release of sequestered carbon into the atmosphere… That deforestation is being used for junk food.” It would be especially bad if it were to happen…”
However, not everyone agrees that you should transition to a healthier diet. The World Health Organization has actually withdrawn from the EAT-Lancet Commission, which “facilitates the global transition to plant-based foods.” If we “focused on promoting primarily plant-based foods and excluding foods considered unhealthy, including meat and other animal-based foods,” such a diet would lead to 1,000 It could save millions of lives and $30 trillion in health care costs. However, it “could lead to the loss of jobs associated with animal husbandry and the production of ‘unhealthy’ foods…”
So which foods have the lowest carbon footprint? Check out what’s next and stay tuned for Which Meals Have the Lowest Carbon Footprint?
Until this video came out, I think the only global warming video I ever had was “Diet and Climate Change: Raising a Storm.” We are pleased to be able to add to this important topic.
One way to reduce the climate impact of meat is to switch to plant-based or cultured meat. We held a webinar on this topic. You can download it digitally here.
