People in Western countries are eating less meat these days. It is not only for their health but also for protecting animals. But now they have another reason.
Eating less meat can help to prevent the change of the weather condition, according to a study published in Nature.
Raising livestock like sheep and cows is harmful to the environment. Take cows for example, when they digest (消化) food, their stomachs make greenhouse (温室) gases, which are a major cause of global warming. 17% of greenhouse gas emissions (排放) come from livestock farming, The New York Times reported.
In addition, to raise these livestock, people have to cut down forests and turn them into farms. Forests play a key role in fighting global warming because theyabsorbgreenhouse gases.
Eating less meat according to some advice could cut global food-related emissions by nearly a third by 2050, the study found. Keeping a vegetarian diet (素食) in the long term could bring down emissions by 63%.
But eating less meat won't be easy. According to the study, people in Western countries will need to eat 90% less meat than they do now in order to have an influence on the weather condition. Scientists are now trying to find new foods to take the place of meat.
Some say that insects (昆虫) could help. A 2013 UN report said that eating insects is healthier and better for the environment. They produce 75% less greenhouse gases than livestock.
Some scientists are creating lab-grown meat. They make meat in a lab, using livestock cells (细胞). In the future, people might be able to buy this lab-grown meat.
