Jul. 1st, 2014

According to a new study published in the journal Climate Change, meat eaters who switch to a vegan diet can cut their dietary greenhouse gas emissions in half. More specifically, “high meat eaters” – those who consume more than 100 grams per day – are responsible for the production of 7.19 kilograms of greenhouse gas emissions per day, while vegans are responsible for 2.89 kilograms per day. You can blame a lot of the meat eaters' top position on the inefficiencies involved in growing feed crops, methane produced by ruminants, and transportation costs. Medium meat-eaters (5.63 kg/day), low meat-eaters (4.67 kg/day), fish eaters (3.91 kg/day), and vegetarians (3.81 kg/day) filled in the spectrum.

Americans easily count as “high meat eaters,” consuming an average of 128 grams of meat per day (4.5 ounces). That’s more than 270 pounds per year, second only to Luxembourg.

Need more to consider ordering that falafel? Oh, a non-meat diet can reduce your risk of heart disease by a third.

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