Want to save the planet? A new study shows you just need to talk to people about the meat problem

It seems like an odd and even funny thing that cow farts still remain one of the primary things threatening our Earth with its current climate conundrum. I mean, they're just adorable bovines who have few things other than scrumptious grass on their minds the entire day, and yet, their burps and farts remain supercharged with the stuff threatening humankind with extinction.

However, the fact remains that methane from large-scale animal farms contributes significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions and simply can't be ignored. In fact, the State of Climate Action 2022 report has even shown that if we just cut meat consumption to the equivalent of two beef burgers per person per week by 2030, we could even stand to avoid the climate crisis.

While it is almost unfathomable for most Americans to imagine a meal without some form of meat, the answer to this problem might be as simple as them attending a seminar, apparently.

When a trio of climate scientists from Claremont Graduate University gave a 50-minute talk outlining the negative environmental impacts of meat culture, they found that the audience reduced their meat consumption by an average of 9% over the next three years.

These subjects were educated on the various negative environmental impacts of animal rearing, such as replacing essential forests with grazing land, the torturous amounts of water required to raise livestock, and, of course, the large volumes of methane these "shameless" animals tend to generate from farm to plate.

Meat eating also has many health detriments, such as the increased risk of heart disease, and the audience was informed of the same as well. Following this, significant dietary changes ensued. The test group ate 11% less beef, 9% less poultry and 9% less fish-based meals. They also saw a 20% increase in vegetable-based dishes.

Previous research has also shown that just having a disclaimer of the detriments of meat-based diets (similar to those seen on cigarette boxes) also profoundly impacted consumption patterns. With a shift to plant-based proteins a vital need of the hour, these techniques could become essential to ease the friction for such a giant culture shift in many meat-eating nations.

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