Scientist reveals why we should quit or cut down on burgers to save the planet

Daily Mail​

2 days ago

However you prefer yours, a juicy beef burger can be satisfying but now experts say we should limit our intake to just one every couple of weeks in order to help curb climate change.
Professor Paul Behrens of the University of Oxford claims people must cut down on meat and dairy to save the planet, and he argued that long–term climate change could make it impossible to grow food in one-third of current production areas.
The professor wrote on The Conversation: 'A shift to plant-rich diets in the UK would free an area almost the size of Scotland [30,000 square miles].'
Those of us who love chicken, pork, and beef shouldn't worry, though, as you could still enjoy your favorite meals.
Professor Behrens said: 'It's not even vegetarian, although it does include a more reasonable - and healthier - amount of meat and dairy.
'For example, it still includes a hamburger every fortnight.'
The professor explained that a shift to plant–rich diets would provide more space to grow crops and help curb rising food prices.
He cited research by agricultural economists that found one-third of food price increases in UK in 2023 resulted from climate change.
Other studies also predicted significant food price increases every year over the coming decade.
Consistent stress on the food system could even cause collapse, according to some experts, which could prompt civil unrest and lead to riots.
Professor Behrens said: 'This trajectory of climate-driven food price hikes - leading to social unrest and political decay - is not inevitable.
'The scientific consensus shows that the biggest opportunity we have for reducing food's environmental impacts across many countries is increasing the amount of plants we eat and reducing meat and dairy intake.'
A previous study, also carried out by academics at the University of Oxford, revealed that eating just 100g of meat per day - less than a single burger - created four times more greenhouse gases when compared to a vegan diet.
Peter Scarborough at Oxford's Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences said: 'Our dietary choices have a big impact on the planet. Our results, which use data from over 38,000 farms in over 100 countries, show that high meat diets have the biggest impact for many important environmental indicators, including climate change and biodiversity loss.
'Cutting down the amount of meat and dairy in your diet can make a big difference to your dietary footprint.'
Researchers performed computer modelling scenarios of future greenhouse gas emissions up to the 22nd century using publicly available data from the UN.
Experts found that eliminating all animal agriculture in the next 15 years would drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pull carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Animal agriculture contributed to global warming because of the methane, nitrous oxide, and carbon emissions of livestock together with their supply chains.