Climatarian diet is a diet focused on reducing the climate footprint.[1][2]
Etymology
editThe term first appeared around the mid-2010s, with The New York Times including it on its list of new food-related words in 2015, where it was defined as "a diet whose primary goal is to reverse climate change".[3] The word itself is a portmanteau of the noun "climate" and the splinter word "-tarian", which has come to refer to someone with a dietary restriction.[4]
Suggested ways reduce dietary carbon footprint
editClimate-centered diets do not involve strict rules so much as mindfulness about food production, such as where food comes from, and where it goes. The Core Principles involve eating locally, reducing meat consumption or choosing lower-impact meats, and eliminating food waste wherever possible. Suggestions include:[5]
- Eat "land-efficient" foods
- Eat less feedlot beef
- Buy local
- Buy organic
- Eat drought-hardy crops
- Cut down on food waste
Motivation
editThe climatarian diet is supposed to carry dual benefits, not only for the consumer, who will enjoy healthier diet, but also for the planet as a whole, by reducing the climate impact of food production.[6] Proponents of climatarianism claim that the diet is based on clear scientific data, as it seeks to reduce the consumption of those foods that are identified as the largest emitters of greenhouse gases responsible for climate change.[7]
One of the main ways in which climatarians strive to make their food consumption less environmentally harmful is by avoiding eating beef and lamb.[8]
According to a 2014 study, "beef used 28 times more land, 11 times more water and emitted five times more greenhouse gases than the production of either pork, poultry, dairy or eggs."[9] It has also been calculated that the carbon footprint of beef is well over the equivalent of 20,000 g of CO2 per kilo, while fish is just under 4,500 g, and poultry is around 4,000 g. Beans and dried fruit are under the equivalent of 2,000 g of CO2 per kilo, while vegetables and seasonal fruit use less than 1,000 g.[7]
Other goals of the climatarian diet consist of eating many vegetables, choosing locally produced food and using all parts of an animal when eating meat, in order to reduce waste.[8]
Climatarian app
editIn 2016, the Australian climate group Less Meat Less Heat launched a crowdfunding campaign in order to develop an app that will make it easier for consumers to eat in an environmental-conscious way.[10][11] The app was launched in November 2016 and is meant to encourage users to reduce their food-based footprint to less than 80 kilograms of carbon per month.[12]
Notes
edit- ^ Craig, Winston J. (2018). Vegetarian Nutrition and Wellness. Boca Raton, FL, London and New York: CRC Press. p. 19. ISBN 978-1-351-97179-9.
- ^ Convery, Paul (2019). Eat Your Words: The Definitive Dictionary for the Discerning Diner. Coral Gables, FL: Mango Media Inc. ISBN 978-1-64250-135-3.
- ^ Moskin, Julia (15 December 2015). "'Hangry'? Want a Slice of 'Piecaken'? The Top New Food Words for 2015". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
- ^ Martin, Sara; Owen, David; Pladevall-Ballester, Elisabet (2018). Persistence and Resistance in English Studies: New Research. Newcastle upon Tyne, UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. p. 124. ISBN 978-1-5275-1228-3.
- ^ Tau, Lee; Villalva, Macie (17 May 2020). The Climatarian Diet: 15 Day Meal Plan and Healthy Recipes to try. Kindle.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Mellino, Cole (22 December 2015). "'Climatarian' Makes New York Times List of Top New Food Words for 2015". EcoWatch. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
- ^ a b "Climatarian: the "zero emissions" meal". BCFN Foundation. 24 June 2016. Archived from the original on 6 February 2020. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
- ^ a b Antonsson, Sofia (2020) [2019]. The Gut Health Cookbook: Low-FODMAP Vegetarian Recipes for IBS and Sensitive Stomachs. Translated by Hedström, Ellen. New York: Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-5107-5043-2.
- ^ Eshel, G.; Shepon, A.; Makov, T.; Milo, R. (2014-07-21). "Land, irrigation water, greenhouse gas, and reactive nitrogen burdens of meat, eggs, and dairy production in the United States". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 111 (33): 11996–12001. Bibcode:2014PNAS..11111996E. doi:10.1073/pnas.1402183111. ISSN 0027-8424. PMC 4143028. PMID 25049416.
- ^ Heath, Nicola (5 July 2016). "Is the climatarian diet the diet of the future?". Special Broadcasting Service. Archived from the original on 6 February 2020. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
- ^ Pershin, Mark (14 April 2016). "The Climatarian Challenge App". www.pozible.com. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
- ^ "Climatarian Challenge App". Less Meat Less Heat. 14 August 2016. Retrieved 2020-02-06.
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