The diet that helps fight climate change

Which food has the highest carbon footprint?

• Chicken and turkey

• Dairy products

• Fruits and nuts

• Lamb and beef

• Leafy green vegetables

Answer explanation

Lamb and beef need the most land, food and water to grow before they can be eaten. They also emit methane during digestion.

Which greenhouse gas is the most potent at trapping heat in the atmosphere?

• Carbon dioxide (CO2)

• Carbon monoxide (CO)

• Methane (CH4)

• Nitrous oxide (NO2)

• They are all equal

Answer explanation

Nitrous oxide (NO2) is about 300 times more effective at trapping heat than carbon dioxide (CO2). It is widely used as a fertilizer.

What’s the largest source of nitrous oxide?

• Cars

• Fertilizers

• Hospitals and dentists

• Natural ecosystems

• Whipped cream canisters

Answer explanation

70% of NO2 is produced from agriculture. Nitrogen fertilizers were a breakthrough for feeding the world, but overusing them damages contributes to global warming.

Which diet is most correlated with a longer lifespan?

• American diet

• Gluten-free diet

• Mediterranean diet

• Vegan diet

• Vegetarian diet

Answer explanation

People eating a Mediterranean diet seem to live 6-10 years longer.

Which diet contributes the least to climate change?

• American diet

• Gluten-free diet

• Mediterranean diet

• Vegan diet

• Vegetarian diet

Answer explanation

(Vegetarian, Mediterranean and pescatarian diets come very close.)

A standard _steak dinner with sides_ is roughly equivalent to driving how many miles in terms of greenhouse gas emissions?

• 1/2

• 3

• 6

• 20

• They cannot be compared.

Answer explanation

A vegetarian diet is equivalent to cutting your driving by about 2500 km a year.

What contributes the most to climate change?

• Buildings

• Cars

• Deforestation (cutting down forests)

• Food waste

• Growing food

Answer explanation

Our food system is responsible for about 25% of all greenhouse gas emissions, out of this food waste accounts for about 6%. We have power to make change, both in the foods we eat and how much we throw away.

If everyone switched to a Mediterranean diet, it would be like removing ______ cars from the road every year

• 1 billion

• 100,000

• 1 million

Answer explanation

It’s estimated that just over 1 billion vehicles are on the road around the world. If the world moved toward a Mediterranean diet, it would be like taking every single car and truck off the road worldwide.

What can we do to fight climate change through our food system?

• Develop sustainable agriculture

• Minimize the use and impact of fertilizers

• Reduce meat consumption

• Restore grasslands and deforested land

• All of the these

Answer explanation

Food is one area where personal choice can make a big difference: making smart food choices is something we can all do every day.