Your Food Choices Affect the Earth's Climate

The ability to maintain natural resources at a certain rate or level is known as _______.

Which statement best expresses the central idea of the text?

• The types of food people eat and the way that it is produced has varying costs for the environment, ranging from releasing pollution to wasting resources.

• People tend to buy food that is low cost for themselves; however, this type of food is usually produced in a way that is costly to the environment.

• The only way to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases is for the biggest meat eaters to convert to vegetarian or vegan diets.

• People don't have to change what they eat to help the environment, just how their food is farmed or raised.

Which detail from the passage/article provides the best clue for the meaning of "equivalents"?

• "The amount of CO2 needed to warm Earth's atmosphere by the same amount as the methane or nitrous oxide" (Paragraph 8)

• "— also known as its carbon footprint —" (Paragraph 9)

• "Switching from meat-rich meals to vegetarian ones" (Paragraph 9)

• "someone whose meals included an average of 50 to 99 grams (1.8 to 3.5 ounces) of meat each day" (Paragraph 12)

What is the author's main purpose in the text?

• to pressure people to switch to diets free of any and all animal products

• to inform readers about how the types of food they eat have environmental costs

• to stress the health benefits of switching to a diet free of meat and animal products

• to show how reducing the greenhouse gases emitted from food production isn't enough

What is the relationship between how food is produced and the costs to the environment?

• Food production costs the environment because of the plants and animals that humans use strictly for food.

• Different food production practices damage the natural plant life that is native to certain areas used for farming.

• Food production costs the environment because different farmers may treat the same animal differently when farming.

• Different food production practices use resources like water and chemicals like pesticides which negatively impact the environment.

How does the section "Beyond greenhouse gases" contribute to the development of ideas in the text (Paragraphs 17-23)? Use details from the text to support your answer.

In the text, the author explains that what you choose to eat matters. How can you help reduce the emission of greenhouse gases by making different choices about what you eat? How often do you eat meat or animal products? Has this article inspired you to change what you eat? Why or why not?

In the text, the author discusses how the environment is impacted by not just what we eat, but how that food is grown or raised. Based on what you've read and other thoughts you may have, how can food be grown and raised to be more environmentally friendly? How can you, as a consumer, encourage farmers to produce food in more environmental ways?