Veg Diet: 30 Percent Fewer Greenhouse Emissions

Vegan and vegetarian diets emit fewer greenhouse gas emissions than non-veg diets, according to Loma Linda University researchers who presented at the sixth International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition. The new research serves as more evidence backing the United Nation’s recent call for reduced meat consumption. Diets of 96,000 Seventh-day Adventists from Canada and the US were studied, revealing that vegans not only had the lowest risk of chronic diseases, but produce 41.7 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than omnivores. Vegetarians emit 27.8 percent lower emissions, and combined vegans and vegetarians have a 30 percent smaller environmental footprint. Congress chair Dr. Joan Sabaté noted that a shift toward plant-based eating was necessary to curb environmental damage caused by meat production.