The jury is out on beef's impact on our climate...I'm all in!

I used to think there's no way and no reason I'd reduce my beef intake. Regrettably, I would ridicule vegans and vegetarians and I vowed I would never become one. Twenty years ago, I went to a raw food restaurant in NYC and reluctantly ate my dinner while my friend savored every morsel. That sealed the deal...I was no vegan or vegetarian. I love vegetables, but for decades plant-based proteins were nowhere on my diet radar.

Until, a few months ago my friend invited me to her [Covid] "Vaccine" party and she was having a Mexican-cuisine themed "Fajita Night" with only plant-based proteins. I went to the fajita station and asked for the "asada falsa" or "fake meat" (made of Beyond Meat), added my toppings, and chowed down. Yes...it was delicious! I was hooked and I've been making my signature pasta Bolognese sauce exclusively with Beyond Meat plant-based ground. It's true...I'm now a flexitarian: one that is centered on plant foods with the occasional inclusion of meat.*

As I read articles on agriculture's and livestock's impact on the climate, many opinions exist, however, the data show that roughly 15 percent of of all global greenhouse gas emissions come from livestock and 65 percent of that is attributed to cattle or beef.**  Also, "beef requires 20 times more land and 20 times more greenhouse gas emissions per grams of edible protein than common plant proteins, like beans."**

I believe that a large-scale change in corporate sustainability practices is going to shift the agricultural industry, however, I also believe that altering my meat consumption behavior is contributing to the health of our planet. However small my contribution may be, it matters. I'm not giving up meat, but I am reducing its role in my diet.

*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semi-vegetarianism

**https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/22430749/beef-chicken-climate-diet-vegetarian