(NEW ORLEANS, La.) — As global temperatures continue to rise, a 2021 United Nations-backed study found that some 34% of all greenhouse gas emissions come from the systems in place to feed the world’s population.
Not all foods are created equal, though, such as beef production requiring 8-10 times more emissions than the same amount of chicken, and over 20 times more than nut or legume production.
A new study from researchers at Tulane University in New Orleans weighed the relative impact of different diets on the world’s carbon emissions. In addition to the nutritional content of the contenders, the researchers wanted to know on average how many pounds of carbon dioxide emissions are associated with a thousand calories’ worth of each diet.
In Tulane’s write-up of the study, senior author Diego Rose said “Climate change is arguably one of the most pressing problems of our time, and a lot of people are interested in moving to a plant-based diet.”
The study looked into diets like:
- Keto, which eschews carbs in favor of a high-fat and high-protein diet (6.6 pounds of carbon dioxide per 1,000 calories)
- Paleo, which replaces grains and beans with meats, nuts and vegetables (5.7 pounds of carbon dioxide per 1,000 calories)
- Vegan, which avoids all animal products in favor of plant-based alternatives (1.5 pounds of carbon dioxide per 1,000 calories)
“Based on our results, that would reduce your footprint and be generally healthy. Our research also shows there’s a way to improve your health and footprint without giving up meat entirely,” he added.