Dietary Choice and Environment Impacts: A Critical Review, with special consideration to Non-Vegetarian Diets
Prashasti Keshari
Department of Chemical Engineering,, ICT Mumbai.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36664/bt/2022/v69i1/172496
Keywords: Environment impacts, GHG emissions, Carbon footprint, non-vegetarian diet, meat.
Abstract
The amendment in human lifestyle has been dramatic over the years. Food consumption and patterns have varied exponentially. According to studies, the human population is expected to rise by 25% and reach 9.9 billion by 2050. This increase will lead to a hike in meat consumption by 60% worldwide. It is projected to reach 460 million to 570 million tons of meat. The excessive growth in meat consumption and production will lead to several environmental impacts. In this paper, we will discuss changes in lifestyle and consumption patterns, energy footprints, GHG emissions of different diets, and the environmental impacts on land, water, and climate change, and animal torture. Also, we will be comparing various diets; vegan, vegetarian, and omnivorous, and their impacts on the planet. The paper also focuses on the solutions regarding how we as an individual can contribute to the environment, and protect our animals and the climate by choosing better alternatives and substantially decreasing meat consumption.
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