Not all meat eaters are created equal — at least when it comes to their climate impact. According to The Washington Post, a new study published in Nature Climate Change mapped the “hoofprint” — the planet-warming Pollution from meat consumption — across more than 3,000 U.S. towns and cities. The researchers found that what you eat and where you eat it can dramatically change how much you contribute to global heating.
In places like Milwaukee, where beef often comes from local dairy cows, eating a burger produces fewer emissions than in Oklahoma City, where meat typically originates from feedlots. Some areas, such as McAllen, Texas, see extra methane released from open manure lagoons, while slower-growing cattle in Kansas and Nebraska add to the problem. Beef alone makes up 73 percent of the average American city’s hoofprint, with pork and chicken trailing far behind.
Even though the U.S. has among the lowest emissions intensity per pound of beef globally, researchers say the supply chain is key. The way cows are raised, fed, and transported shapes the total carbon cost. “Beef is still the main culprit,” said Ben Goldstein, co-author of the study and professor of environment and sustainability at the University of Michigan.
The good news? You don’t need to go vegan overnight to make a difference. Simply swapping half your beef intake for chicken or plant-based alternatives can reduce emissions by a third. Combine that with cutting food waste and going meatless one day a week, and you could shrink your food-related carbon footprint by up to 51 percent — a change equivalent to taking millions of cars off the road.
Diet is deeply personal, but every choice matters. Whether it’s choosing plant-based meals, supporting local farms, or eating less red meat, our collective habits can lighten the load on the environment — and our grocery bills.
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Easy Ways to Help the Planet:
- Eat Less Meat: Download Food Monster, the largest plant-based Recipe app on the App Store, to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy. You can also buy a hard or soft copy of our favorite vegan cookbooks.
- Adopt-a-Pet: Visit WildWatchers, a watchdog platform specifically designed for animal, earth, and wildlife warriors to actively give back, rescue, and protect animals and the planet.
- Reduce Your Fast Fashion Footprint: Stand against fast fashion Pollution by supporting circular brands like Tiny Rescue, which create cause-based collections using recycled, zero-waste clothing designed to be returned and remade, ensuring it never ends up in a landfill.
- Shop Sustainably for Your Home: Visit SustaiNOBLE.org, an eco-friendly and ethically sourced home decor store that will empower your home with luxurious fair-trade, and sustainable products made by global artisans.
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- Do What You Can: Reduce waste, plant trees, eat local, travel responsibly, reuse stuff, say no to single-use plastics, recycle, vote smart, switch to cold water laundry, divest from fossil fuels, save water, shop wisely, Donate if you can, grow your food, volunteer, conserve energy, compost, and don’t forget about the microplastics and microbeads lurking in common household and personal care products!
