Nitrogen News

New study: Eating less meat to reduce climate change

Meat consumption in the developed world needs to be cut 50 percent per person by 2050, and industrial and agricultural emissions need to be cut in half to meet the IPCC's aggressive strategy to reduce the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide.

The findings are from a study by Dr. Eric Davidson published April 13 in Environmental Research Letters. It also finds that improving management of fertilizer and manure sources will lead to significant nitrous oxide reductions. The Guardian UK wrote, that's because "fertilizers used in growing feed crops for cattle produce the most potent of the greenhouse gases causing climate change."

Can we get Americans to eat less steak? "If you had asked me 30 years ago if smoking would be banned in bars, I would have laughed and said that would be impossible in my lifetime," said Davidson. "And yet it has come true."
The press release is here.