Humans normally work at their best when they know there are rewards and incentives in what they do. So if you're looking for reasons to eat well-that is, sticking to a healthier diet with more fruits and vegetables and less meat-you don't only get to live a longer life, but you also help preserve Mother Earth.
A new study conducted by two researchers from University of Minnesota has established a correlation between a proper diet and reduction of greenhouse emissions.
David Tilman, an ecologist of the university, and Michael Clark, a student, gathered plenty of various data including incomes and consumption of meat and calories (such as empty calories). The information falls from 1961 to 2009.
By analyzing these huge amounts of data, they discovered that there's a direct relationship between the increased consumption of too much protein and empty calories and the rise of income within the identified period.
They then performed a trend analysis, going as far as 2050 and taking into consideration the current consumption-income pattern. They forecasted that a typical 2050 diet, provided there's no modification in lifestyle, would result to more than 55% increase of consumption of empty calories and no less than 25% of dairy and meat products. By then, people would also be eating way less servings of fruits and vegetables but be more susceptible to certain diseases such as cardiovascular disorders and type 2 diabetes.
But that's not the only negative impact if we don't change our diet. The same diet may be responsible for an over 75% increase of greenhouse gas emissions as the demand for animal and dairy products increases, forcing industry players to clear out forests and agriculture land, among others.
n the same breath, changing our diet to something healthier such as pescetarian, Mediterranean, or vegetarian can reverse the possible impact. It reduces the likelihood of developing the mentioned diseases by as much as 25% and the incidence of habitat destruction, preserving land as huge as United States. It also decreases greenhouse emissions equal to those emitted by all types of vehicles, including planes and ships.
