Go Green: ‘Not the End of the World’ (Part I)

By Tom Last

I recently read the book “Not the End of the World” (Hannah Ritchie, Little Brown Spark, NY), which debunks some of the doomsday scenarios surrounding climate change and tells of some of the environmental progress we are making, but at the same time warns us of the seriousness of our current climate day issues and reminds us not to be complacent, but rather take action to help solve this problem.

Instead of tackling the entire book in one article, I preferred to focus this article on one part of Ms. Ritchie’s book related to food sustainability. Do not interpret this article as an attempt to change your eating habits, but instead it’s to inform the reader of how our eating habits affect climate change and how a more environmentally friendly diet can also save you money and improve your health.

I enjoy a good steak or hamburger. However, I have learned to reduce my consumption of both over the last several years. So why is eating beef an environmental issue? Cows belch methane and plenty of it. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas. It traps much more heat in our atmosphere than carbon dioxide. In addition to the methane cows require, an abundant amount of pasture to roam. This land need usually requires deforestation, especially the type that has been happening in South America and throughout the Amazon. Forests are being cut down and burned for cows which results in less trees and plants generating oxygen and removing carbon dioxide from our atmosphere. Also, larger animals like cows, lamb, and pigs are less efficient at producing food then smaller animals, as you need to feed them proportionately more, but they produce less meat.

So, how much meat do you need in your diet? Most health sources say to eat meat no more than two to three times a week. If you are concerned about your meat intake or reducing your intake, then I suggest you consult your doctor or dietician. If you haven’t noticed, beef is much more expensive than chicken, turkey, fish, and greens. So, by reducing our intake of beef and lamb, we not only help the environment and improve our health, but we also save money.

See the following weekly menu for ideas on reducing your meat intake.

Meatless Mondays – Eggplant meatballs with pasta is one of my favorite dishes and it’s hard to tell the difference between the eggplant meatballs and beef meatballs. I will share our family’s eggplant meatballs recipe in my next article.

Taco Turkey Tuesdays – After a while, no one will know or care that it’s turkey. Turkey has a much lower carbon footprint than beef and lamb and is less expensive.

Chicken Wednesdays – Chicken has the lowest carbon footprint of meats, so create any chicken dish you want because you are helping the environment by not eating as much beef.

Build a Hybrid Burger Thursdays – Try blending beef with other meats such as chicken or turkey to use with your favorite meat dishes. Or better yet try an Impossible Burger or Beyond Burger that are healthy and surprisingly tasty.

Pizza and Pasta Fridays – Order your favorite pizza with a healthy serving of vegetables.

Steak Nite Saturdays – Let’s have some beef but maybe a smaller portion than usual and serve it with healthy sides.

Fish Nite Sundays – For a more sustainable meal, try some healthy salmon with plenty of omega-3. Salmon will help decrease the risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Only a vegetarian meal has a lower carbon footprint.

In addition to reducing meat consumption, it is just as important not to waste food. Around one-third of the world’s food goes to waste. Businesses waste a lot of food, but here I want to focus on how consumers can reduce food waste. See the list on how consumers can reduce food waste.

1. Avoid buying too much. If something is on sale, it may not make sense to buy it if you don’t use it or if it spoils before you use it.
2. Eat a meal before food shopping. With a full belly, you’re more likely to buy less food.
3. Always make a shopping list so you don’t buy things you don’t need.
4. Organize the fridge and pantry – “first in first out” is a useful way to organize food at home to ensure items do not stay past their expiration date.
5. Making a weekly dinner menu may help some people organize their food usage and cut down on waste.
6. Freeze extras – this can help preserve them for later use and prevent them from spoiling.
7. Use leftovers – instead of buying lunch out, eat leftovers from last night’s dinner. Make sure you have Tupperware to use after a dinner party so family and friends can take food home.
8. Store food correctly. Perishables like fruits and vegetables all have their own best way to be stored.

So, eating less beef and meat overall may be healthier for you, save you money, and lower your carbon footprint. Speak to your doctor before making any drastic changes to your diet. Also, have a plan when it comes to buying and storing food. Less food waste means a lower carbon footprint and more money saved.

Remember, there is no Planet B.