Carbon cost of meat in US “Comparable” to the Fossil Fuel Industry

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Researchers have quantified how meat consumption in the U.S. is contributing to the greenhouse gas emissions responsible for climate change.

More than 11 million tons of meat is consumed in U.S. cities annually -- equating to about 329 million tons of carbon emissions, according to a study published Monday in the scientific journal Nature Climate Change.

That figure is comparable to emission levels from domestic fossil fuel combustion in the U.S., at about 334 million tons annually, Benjamin P. Goldstein, an assistant professor of environment and sustainability at the University of Michigan and lead author of the paper, told ABC News. In addition, emissions from meat consumption in the U.S. exceed total annual carbon emissions from the U.K., at 305 million tons, and Italy, at 313 million tons, the researchers said.

The three most populated cities in the U.S. -- New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago -- consumed a total of 3.2 million tons of meat per year, according to the paper.

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Researchers quantified and mapped the greenhouse gas emissions of beef, chicken and pork consumption to calculate the "carbon hoofprint" of 3,531 U.S. cities by implementing a high-resolution model to link meat consumption to the specific rural regions that produce the feed, livestock and processed meat.

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Emissions from meat consumption in the U.S. can be reduced by up to 51% through measures such as reducing food waste and shifting diets from beef to poultry, the researchers suggested.

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And as far as individual consumption goes, the fundamental advice of focusing on a plant-based diet, and choosing chicken or pork over beef, is still the best way to practice sustainability within eating habits, according to Goldstein.

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